The Wedding
by Bandbabe
Summary: Adam attends a family wedding as himself for the first time and brings Fiona as his date. – Post-"How To Save A Life"; Future fic!; Fiona/Adam pairing; Eli/Clare/Drew/Jess friendship; *complete*
1. Cousins

"The Wedding"

Summary: Adam attends a family wedding as himself for the first time and brings Fiona as his date. – Post-"How To Save A Life"; Future fic!; Fiona/Adam pairing; Eli/Clare/Alli friendship.

Author's Note: The first two chapters after largely from his cousin's point of view. She only knows him as Gracie.

Categories: Family/Romance/Friendship/Humor

Rating: T (updated rating...)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

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1-

"Your cousin is weird."

Gia Calderón momentarily paused in the mirror, her dark brown eyes staring back at her wide. She had been applying eyeliner. "What?" she said distantly, ignoring the knot in her stomach. She quickly resumed putting on her makeup.

"She never wants to try on makeup or come with us when we go shopping for clothes. She's always hanging with your brothers playing video games," her best friend declared. "I guess it's fine when you're young, but she's a freshman in high school now."

Gia bit her lip. She was protective of Gracie. She was a sweet girl with a big heart. She always wanted to make people laugh. Sure she wasn't like the other girls but she didn't like Shauna's tone. Gia and Shauna Thompson had been best friends since grade eight, but she had known Gracie for fourteen years. Family was everything.

"She's still a kid, Shauna. Leave it alone," Gia told her.

Shauna shrugged. "I'm just saying, how is she going to find a boyfriend if she's acting like one of the guys?"

"Not everyone is as boy crazy as you!" Gia laughed. Her friend was so self-involved it was comical at times. It rendered her incapable of seeing things from someone else's point of view.

Shauna smiled. "Fine. I'll give you that," she relented. "But I don't understand why she won't let me give her a makeover. I know she recently cut her hair, but I have an amazing style in mind that I want to try out."

Gia shook her head and put the finishing touches on her eyeliner.

Suddenly they heard two quick knocks on the bathroom door before it flew open. Gracie came bouncing through.

"Aunt Sarah told me to tell you guys that dinner is almost ready," her cousin rushed out in a bored tone. Gracie stood with a hand on the doorknob, clearly not thrilled to be here. She wore a deep purple sweater with blue jeans and black converse sneakers. Her medium brown hair, which was too short for a ponytail, was parted down the middle and the sides were tucked behind her ears.

"Thanks Grace," Gia told her. "What do you think?" she stepped away from the mirror and fully faced her.

Gracie studied her, unsure if the pink blush complemented Gia's olive complexion, but the eyeliner looked nice. "The eyeliner is perfect."

Gia grinned, knowing that Gracie had been bored out of her mind while they spent an extra twenty minutes at the drug store in the beauty aisle this afternoon. "Great!"

"Okay, see you at the table," Gracie told her and turned to leave.

"Gracie, wait!"

Gia gave Shauna a warning look, not sure what she was up to.

Gracie held back a groan and turned around. "What?"

"I like that sweater," Shauna said sweetly. "I really think purple is your color."

Gia could tell that Gracie was thoroughly annoyed but gave a polite smile. "Thanks."

"You know, I have just the right shade of eye shadow that will complement it!" Shauna said excitedly and reached into her purse.

Gia and Gracie shared a look.

"It's fine," Gracie dismissed her.

Shauna pouted. "But don't you want to look pretty?"

Gracie sharply shook her head. "No."

Shauna raised an eyebrow. A perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"Shauna," Gia said exasperated. She already told her Gracie didn't want a makeover. "We'll meet you in the dining room."

Gracie nodded and walked off.

Gia felt bad. She could see that the exchange had made her cousin uncomfortable. "Do you always have to be so stubborn?"

Shauna looked at her innocently. "What? I was only trying to help."

"I already told you to leave it alone!" Gia argued.

When they got to the table everyone was already seated. On one end sat her mom and Greg, her mother's boyfriend, along with Aunt Audra and Uncle Omar. On the other end sat the kids. Her younger brothers were sandwiched between her cousins. Carlito took a seat next to Gracie, Mateo was next to Andrew, and Filiberto sat in the middle.

Gia and Shauna took the two remaining seats. Gia rolled her eyes as Shauna sauntered next to Andrew with a smile.

"Jailbait," she mouthed. They were seventeen. Andrew was fifteen.

At the head of the table sat Abuela Lucia, her paternal grandmother. Aunt Audra and her late father, Miguel, were siblings. The table grew quiet as Abuela Lucia said a prayer. The moment it was over the table overflowed with conversation and laughter.

Gia was in heaven as she took another bite of Aunt Audra's yellow rice and beans. She locked eyes with her Aunt. "This is delicious!"

Audra smiled at her niece. "That was always your favorite dish of mine," she grinned.

Gia nodded.

"Actually, I didn't make it this time," she revealed. She looked at her younger child. "Gracie made them."

All eyes turned to Gracie. Her cheeks grew flushed.

"Really? You did an awesome job, Grace!" Gia complimented her.

Gracie nodded. "Thanks."

"Grace is an excellent cook. I've had her in the kitchen forever, but I've really been impressed over the last couple of years," Audra praised. "Ma, I'd say she has about twenty percent of the family recipes down."

Abuela Lucia smiled at her granddaughter. "_Muy bueno a mi nieta!_"

"Now Drew, he could use some work," Aunt Audra joked. Everyone laughed.

Gia grinned as Andrew shrugged haplessly, playing the part.

"Well, he is a boy so it's not _that_ important," Greg said lightly amused.

Gia watched as Gracie stiffened. She glanced at Andrew and noticed his expression had grown more somber.

"It's still important for men to know their way around the kitchen," Aunt Audra countered. Uncle Omar nodded his head.

"But, when Andrew gets married his wife is going to cook," Greg argued. Gia rolled her eyes at his narrow views. Greg wasn't a bad guy and she knew he made her mother happy. After her father's sudden illness, it seemed like years since she smiled. However, he really didn't get it.

"Greg," Uncle Omar spoke up. "_Si eres Latino?_"

Greg smiled awkwardly. "Um, no?"

Gia looked at Gracie. They both struggled not to laugh. Both girls had been speaking Spanish since birth.

"It's doesn't matter if you're male or female. Food is love, life, and tradition. Without tradition family means nothing," Uncle Omar declared.

Greg looked away sheepishly.

"No, it's alright," Uncle Omar continued, showing that no offense had been taken. "But my children will continue the tradition," he smiled.

After dinner Gia and Gracie found themselves on dishwashing duty. Gia sighed bitterly. For all the talk of gender equality earlier, she felt the boys had gotten off pretty light. All they had to do was gather the dishes. It had only taken a few minutes, whereas twenty minutes later she and Gracie were still in the kitchen.

"Are we almost done?" Gia asked. She wanted to sit down already.

Gracie shook her head. "We have few more to go."

They continued in a companionable silence.

"Thanks for washing," Gia said after a long moment. The moment chores were divvied up Shauna opted to go home. Cleaning dishes wasn't glamorous and both girls had recently gotten manicures. She was thankful Gracie had graciously offered to do the washing, letting her dry the dishes and save her nails!

"No problem," Gracie smiled.

"So, are you guys are driving back tonight?" Gia asked making conversation.

"Yep. Looks like it," Gracie confirmed.

"Well, in three hours you'll be able to sleep in your own comfy bed," she said, taking account of passing through Customs at the US and Canadian border. They were in Buffalo, NY and the Torres family lived in Toronto.

Gracie shrugged, but Gia could tell she was looking forward to it.

"Anxious to get back to real life?" Gia questioned. It had been a full house over the three day weekend.

Gracie smirked. "You could say that."

Gia studied her. "There's something you're not telling." One thing she was fairly certain of was that Gracie's clothes seemed handpicked by Aunt Audra.

She saw Gracie blink and redouble her focus on the dishes.

"Hmm, any boys you're anxious to see?" Gia teased.

Gracie briefly grimaced before smoothing her features. "No."

Gia looked at her curiously. "Are there any guys that you like?" she pressed.

"Sure," Gracie nodded. She then added, "But as friends." She handed Gia the last dish.

"Is there anyone you like?" Gia asked quietly. The question hung in the air for several seconds. Gracie didn't turn around. Instead she kept her eyes trained on the running water in the now empty sink.

"Are you girls done with the dishes?" a voice called from the other room.

"Yes, I'm drying the last one," Gia answered. Gracie glanced up and Gia gave her a warm smile. "Come on, let's go."

As they left the kitchen she wrapped an arm around her cousin's shoulder. She had been happy to spend time with her. Though the two girls were very different, they had always gotten along. She viewed her almost like the younger sister she never had, even though Gracie fit right in with her brothers.

Gia had no way of knowing this was the last time she would see Gracie at all.

.

tbc

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A/N: Reviews = Awesome :D


	2. Reconnect

"The Wedding" – part 2

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Adam was 14 years old in the last chapter. This chapter moves to ahead in time. It's April of Adam's Junior year at Degrassi. He is 17.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

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2-

They had spoken on the phone today, but as she sat in front of the computer she wasn't sure what to expect. She took a deep breath and clicked 'yes'.

It had been three years since Gia had seen her cousin. In the time in between she had seen Aunt Audra and Uncle Omar at a few family events, usually with Andrew. However Gracie was always inconspicuously absent.

She had the flu.

She was recovering from a broken leg.

She had to work on an important project for school.

The excuses varied over the years. It had taken a tragedy for the truth to be revealed. Gracie wasn't 'Gracie' anymore. Her cousin went by the name 'Adam' and had been living as male for quite some time. Three years to be exact. In the immediate aftermath her Aunt requested 'space'. There wasn't much she and the other members of her family could do to make things better, but they could respect their wishes.

So when Gia called the Torres residence this morning and asked to speak to Adam, the voice on the other end of the line had taken her aback. It was much deeper than the one she was used to. Suddenly it all became real to her. Gracie was now a guy, he had this whole other life she knew nothing about, and he survived much more than anyone should have to bear.

Talking to Adam had been awkward at first, after so many years of radio silence, however they quickly struck up an amiable rapport. Gia told him all about her last year of high school and beginning college. How fast her brothers Mateo, Filiberto, and Carlito were growing up. How she met Eddie Crúz and the details of their marriage last fall. It had been a courthouse wedding, done right before he shipped out with his unit. Now that he was on leave from the Army they were finally throwing a reception. The whole Calderón clan was slated to be there, including Abuela Lucia and Nana. Gia told him she really wanted him to come.

After some prodding and a few heaps of guilt Adam agreed. It would be the first time many members of their extended family met him as Adam, including her. Their conversation ended well and as promised he sent her a friend invite on FaceRange. Now here she was accepting his request.

In her mind flashed memories of Gracie as child. An adorable little girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was wild and free. Always getting her hands dirty and roughhousing with the boys. Though, she had a sweetness that was evident. She was quick to make those around her laugh and looked to help others whenever she could.

It was surreal seeing pictures of Adam. Though his hair darkened to medium brown many years ago, the eyes were the same. They still had that playful quality. Everything else was different though. He was taller. His clothes were that of a typical teenage boy, though he looked younger than 17 in her opinion. He had a lean build, but seemed to be gaining muscle in more recent pictures.

"Hey, Babe. What are you doing?"

Eduardo Crúz came up to his wife and placed a kiss on her cheek. She looked completely absorbed in the computer. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and lightly rested his head on her shoulder. Gia smiled and leaned back into his embrace. Words could not express how happy she was to have him here with her.

"I'm on FaceRange," she told him.

He chuckled. "I can see that!"

"This is my cousin. The one I told you about."

Eddie stared at the photos on the screen. "That's Gracie?" he questioned surprised.

She turned to look at him, managing to hold in laughter from his bemused expression. She playfully ruffled his short, spiky black hair. "She goes by Adam now," she reminded him.

"Right." He looked at the photo again. Adam was smiling as he leaned against a locker. "I can't tell."

"I think that's the point," she teased. "Anyway, I spoke to him today and he's going to come."

Eddie smiled. He knew how much this meant to his wife. They had been close once. "That's great."

"I told him that he could bring friends," she continued.

"Do we have room for that?" he questioned. She gave him a look. They were having a buffet and the reception was outdoors. "Kidding!"

She clicked through some more photos.

"He's on the basketball team?" Eddie commented upon seeing Adam on the court with his team, dribbling the ball.

Gia nodded and deadpanned, "Yes, transgendered people do play basketball."

"That's not what I meant," he said annoyed.

She grinned. "He has the same jersey and number that his brother Andrew had last year."

"That's cool. Just like me and Hector with Football," Eddie noted. "Who's that?"

They settled on a picture of Adam, still in his basketball uniform, with his arm around a tall, attractive brunette. They were both smiling and practically glowing with happiness.

"That's his girlfriend, Fiona," Gia answered.

-oOo-

Adam drummed his fingers on the dining room table. Across from him sat his brother, Drew. On both ends of table sat their mom and dad.

The Torres family was having a discussion about the wedding. They were aware that Gia had gotten married last fall but with all that had happened in the last five months thoughts about a reception hadn't registered with them. Today she had called and spoke to Audra, extending an invite to the event. Then she asked to speak with Adam. The two cousins had a much longer conversation.

"Are you okay with me going?" he trailed off. The unspoken words '_as me_' hung in the air.

His mother looked at him. "Yes, Adam. This has been long overdue," Audra told him. "And quite frankly, I'm not sure you could pull off a dress anymore."

Her last statement was tongue-in-cheek, but his eyebrows shot up all the same.

Drew was the first one to crack, and soon they were all laughing. It had been a long, difficult journey to this point. Adam felt truly loved and accepted. In this moment, he couldn't ask for more.

.

tbc

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A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! It's great hearing what you think :D

The next chapter is Adam-centric.


	3. I'll Be There

"The Wedding" – part 3

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Very awesome :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

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3-

"Hey. Are you okay?"

Adam looked up at the sound of Alli's voice. He had zoned out of their conversation. She had been telling him about a movie she had seen with a date over the weekend.

"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked.

Alli sighed. "I said it wasn't what we were expecting." She studied her friend. "You seem kind of out of it."

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I just have a lot of stuff on my mind."

"Like what?" she questioned. Alli didn't like it when he got too quiet.

He shrugged. "I'll explain when Eli and Clare get here."

She frowned, but as if on cue Clare placed her tray on the table, followed closely behind by Eli. "Hey guys," she said.

Clare smiled at them. Eli smirked.

"Now lunch is complete," he joked.

"Almost," Adam said wistfully, thinking of his girlfriend. Now that she was finished with school, Fiona was a full time intern at a top fashion company in Downtown Toronto. He was proud of her, but he certainly missed seeing her during the day.

"Right," Eli acknowledged.

"Adam, have you guys finalized your budget for the end of year?" Clare asked regarding the GLBT club as she opened her container of milk.

"Hmm, someone's all business," Eli teased her.

"It's okay," Adam waved him off. "No. We're having a meeting today with just board members to sort out the details. We do have a final list of the events we're going to do, so it should move quickly."

"Great!" Clare smiled. "Not to be a stickler, but Principal Simpson's really been on us to provide him with an updated financial report."

Alli sighed dramatically. She turned to Eli, "See, this is why I'm not on student council or running any clubs."

Eli grinned at her. "I know what you mean. All that paperwork would bore me to tears."

"Wow, you guys are really chugging the haterade today," Adam quipped.

Clare narrowed her eyes. "Ignore these two. We're doing important work."

"Yeah, last time I checked you ate quite a lot of pizza at _Show Your Colors_ day," Adam told Eli.

"And you won a new iPod at Raffle Night!" Clare reminded Alli.

Adam and Clare bumped fists.

Eli rubbed his chin, trying his best to think of a witty rebuttal. Finally he gave up. "Fine," he relented. "So any other topics we can discuss – that doesn't involve school?"

Alli looked at Adam. "What were you waiting to discuss earlier?"

Clare and Eli looked at him curiously.

"Well… I kind of have a question for you two," Adam said hesitantly.

They shared a look.

"Us?" Clare asked.

"Yeah," Adam confirmed. He continued, "Yesterday I talked to my cousin, Gia. She got married in the fall and they're having a wedding reception next weekend. She wants me to go."

"As Adam, or…" Eli trailed off cautiously.

"As me," Adam asserted. "No more dress up."

Eli, Clare, and Alli grinned.

"It's about time!" Clare said happily. Eli readily nodded.

"So, what do you want to ask us about?" Eli asked.

Adam fidgeted. "I want to bring Fiona, but I thought it may be less awkward if I bring friends. You know, strength in numbers."

Clare thought about it. "You're not going to hide her in the crowd, right?" She knew introducing the rest of his family to Adam was a huge step, but if he planned to hide his relationship with Fiona that seemed like a step back.

Adam shook his head. "No. A number of my relatives already know about her. My Uncle and Aunt from New York, and my grandmother do. Plus, I told Gia all about her."

Clare smiled. "Okay, good. I'll be there, Adam."

Eli looked at him. "Was there ever any question? Of course I'll be there, man!"

"Great. Thanks guys," Adam smiled.

Alli narrowed her eyes. "What? I don't get an invite?"

Adam gave her a knowing look. "Would your parents be okay with you crossing the border into the U.S. to attend the wedding of a friend's cousin?"

Alli playfully rolled her eyes. It was a tiny bit annoying that he knew her so well. "Fine, you have a point."

They laughed.

"So, has Fiona picked out her outfit yet?" Clare asked. She figured her friend would be trying out couture for the occasion.

Adam took a sip of milk. "No. I haven't asked her yet."

"Why not?" Eli said surprised.

"I'm going to ask her about it tonight. She was working this weekend, so I wanted to wait until we could really talk about it," Adam told her.

"Oh," Eli responded. That made sense. Meeting Adam's extended family was a pretty big deal.

-oOo-

Adam smiled as he put the finishing touches on their meal. It was 5:30PM and he was at the Condo, waiting for Fiona to arrive. They were supposed to come back to the house after Fiona picked up a change of clothes, but he talked his parents into letting him stay over tonight.

After school he went to the market with Clare and picked out foods for his dish.

_Clare raised an eyebrow. "Wine? Looks like you're going all out for tonight," she grinned._

_Adam gave her a look. "Actually, it's sparkling cider. And, yeah I want to make tonight special."_

"_How special?" she teased._

"_Wow, you're going there? That comment was like right out of Goldsworthy's playbook," he joked._

"_Hey, I have my moments," she said in jest._

"_Anyway, I'm pretty sure she's going to say yes, but this is the first time I've been able to do something special for her… since the hospital."_

_He was referring to his last hospital stay in early March. In the months following Owen's attack he had been really depressed and became convinced that living as male was an unattainable dream. He refused to live as Gracie, so at the time ending it all seemed like his only option. Drew had found him in the nick of time and he was rushed to the emergency room._

_In the weeks following his whole outlook on life had changed. After a series of discussions with his parents, concrete plans had been made for him to continue his transition to male. In June he was slated to undergo top surgery to construct a male chest. He realized it wasn't too late to live the life he wanted to live. And through it all Fiona had been by his side. He thought after all that had happened their relationship would never be the same, but he had been wrong. She truly loved him and still wanted him._

"_That's really sweet, Adam," Clare said earnestly. She was bursting with happiness for her friends. They had been through a lot. Now that the dust had settled, she knew they were going to be okay. "Let's check out to the dairy aisle," she suggested._

"_Good idea," Adam smiled. "I need to get the perfect cheese to serve with the pasta."_

He heard the echo from the front door lock and took a deep breath. He could barely contain his excitement. He couldn't wait to see her face! He smoothed down his hair one last time and took a seat at the table.

.

tbc

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A/N: The next chapter is bursting at the seams with Fadam-y goodness. It's rather long :D


	4. Say Yes

"The Wedding" – part 4

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

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4-

Fiona frowned as she closed the door. Today had been one of those days where nothing seemed to go right. She had woken up earlier than usual because there was an important staff meeting. After she showered and returned to Adam's room, she noticed that she had left the shirt she picked out for the occasion at her condo. It took her twenty minutes to pick out an acceptable alternative. She ended up skipping breakfast to make up for lost time.

Once she finally got to Alexis Bardot Designs, she found out the meeting had been push back an hour. She was relieved to have some extra time and decided to head downstairs for a bagel. However, before she could one of the associates spotted her and assigned her the thankless job of organizing a box of recent memos. By the time she was done she only had ten minutes to spare. She grabbed coffee from the break room and rushed down the hall.

The staff meeting was torture. There were croissants but her boss put her on notation duty. She needed to write so eating wasn't an option. The conference dial in phone was plagued with issues. The call dropped several times, causing them to pause and wait for employees outside of the office to dial back in!

It was nearly 11:00am before she was able to get some food in her stomach and she felt slightly sick the rest of the day. She was happy to finally be home. She was looking forward to resting. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if she had enough energy to head over to Adam's tonight. She hoped that he would meet her here, but knowing how protective his mother could be that was unlikely.

"Serenity now," she muttered as she walked down the hall. The foyer was dark so she deduced her boyfriend wasn't here. She sighed, figuring it was just as well. She probably wasn't good company right now.

When she rounded the corner she furrowed her brows. It seemed like–

"Hey beautiful," Adam said softly. He had a wide grin on his face as he looked at her from the across the room. He was sitting at the kitchen table, which was covered with an elegant white embroidered table cloth. There were two places set with empty plates, forks, knives, and wine glasses. In the middle there was large pot, a bottle of sparkling cider, and a vase with fresh red roses.

Fiona looked at him stunned. "Adam, this is amazing," she told him. She walked over and kissed him. He brought his hands to her waist and promptly pulled her onto his lap as he eagerly returned the kiss.

"You like?" he asked in a teasing manner once they finally came up for air.

She nodded and raised an eyebrow. "What's the occasion?"

He deeply looked into her eyes. "I love you," he stated.

Fiona gently caressed his cheek. "I love you too." It never ceased to amaze her how Adam could instantly change her mood. She had a crappy day but one look from him and none it mattered.

"We should eat before the food gets cold," Adam told her, interrupting her reverie.

"Right." She reluctantly disentangled herself from his embrace. She walked over to the empty chair and to her surprise Adam was right behind her. He pulled out the chair and motioned for her to sit.

"_Mademoiselle_," he said in faux French accent.

She giggled. _"Merci Monsieur!_"

He grabbed some serving utensils from the kitchen counter before returning to the table. He opened the pot.

Fiona widened her eyes. Already her stomach was doing a happy dance. "Adam, this looks delicious!"

He grinned. "Only the best for my princess," he quipped as he began to fill her plate. Adam had made Fettuccine Alfredo with zucchini and chicken. It was one of her favorite dishes.

Fifteen minutes later, when they were settled and begun eating, he decided to ask. "Hey Fiona," he called to her.

Fiona softly laughed. "Hey Adam," she teased at his sudden greeting.

He smiled at her for moment, before his face took on a more serious expression. He was positive that Fiona would say yes, but part of him felt a little nervous. He agreed with Eli that meeting the rest of his family _was_ a big deal. Sure, he had met a number of Fiona's relatives before. Last summer he was introduced to her grandmother and some of her cousins on separate occasions. But this was a huge gathering. Meeting everyone all at once could be overwhelming. Especially since they weren't sure what kind of reception they would receive.

She looked at him curiously. "Were you going to say something?"

Adam chuckled. He hadn't realized he zoned out. "Do you remember my cousin Gia?" he asked her. "I spoke to her yesterday."

"Of course I do. That's great Adam!" she encouraged. Adam had mentioned her in the past. Fiona knew that they had been close when they were younger. They fell out of touch once Adam transitioned and wasn't allowed to participate in family events as himself.

Adam told her that he and his mother almost moved to Buffalo after she separated from his biological father. They spent weeks there following the split. For the next two years they came there nearly every weekend. Audra had been close with her late brother Miguel. Adam and Gia shared a room whenever they stayed over. The two had formed a special bond even though Adam had more in common with Gia's brothers. With just two years between them, they had been the only female cousins around the same age in family. Once his mother met Drew's father their visits had become less frequent, but after the couple married the two families still came together quite a bit over the years.

"She got married last fall. Gia's husband is in the army and they're just having a wedding reception now," he informed her.

"Wow. She's a young bride, but that's great!" Fiona recovered.

Adam cracked a small smile at her commentary. Fiona and Gia were the same age. "Yeah, 19 is kind of young. But when you know, you know. Right?" he grinned at her.

Fiona softly laughed. "True," she agreed. She and Adam decided they wanted to get married someday back in November. At the time she was 18 and he was 16!

"So, she wants me to come to the wedding," he revealed. He studied her for a reaction.

Fiona paused. "As you, right?" She hoped that his cousin would be open and accepting of who he was. He shouldn't feel obligated to play 'Gracie' to make everyone else comfortable.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, as me."

Fiona grinned broadly. She reached for his hand. "How do you feel about that?" she asked.

He took a deep breath. "Happy. Relieved. A little nervous…"

She gave him a look.

"Okay, maybe more than a little nervous," he admitted. He looked into her eyes. "Will you be my date?"

Fiona snorted. "Let me think about it… Yes!" she laughed. She came from around the table and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Was it even a question?"

Adam grinned at her and pulled her closer. "I didn't think so. But I know this is kind of… well, it's a lot."

She took a moment to consider his words. "We'd have to meet _someday_. When is the reception?"

"Next weekend," he told her.

She smiled. "That gives me just enough time to find the perfect dress."

Adam laughed.

-oOo-

Their lovemaking that night had been slow and deliberate. They were in no rush to race to the finish line. Being alone in Fiona's apartment, there was no need to muffle the sounds of their enjoyment. They had been fully in the moment, enjoying each kiss, each touch, and every stroke.

Adam smiled as he lay beside the love of his life. He was truly happy. His life had taken a unique trajectory. It wasn't all that long ago he struggled to be comfortable in his own skin and lived in fear of people finding out the truth about him. While he knew dysphoria was something he would likely struggle with for the rest of his life, he felt so much better about who was and how he felt in his body. Transitioning had been one of the best things to happen to him. Words couldn't describe how good it felt for his outside to finally reflect the guy he had always been inside.

When he was outed by Bianca in his Sophomore year at Degrassi, he had been devastated. Now he found, in a way she had done him a favor. He was subjected to horrible bullying in the aftermath, but in the long term living his life openly was freeing. His immediate family knew. Everyone at school knew and over time accepted him as male – with the exception of one former classmate, who was rotting in jail.

The attack by Owen had been reported in the news. It was how his extended family learned he was transgendered. He didn't like the way they found out, but he was relieved that he no longer had to keep up pretenses. Four months later, he still wasn't sure what they thought about it and for this reason he was very nervous about attending Gia's wedding.

He sighed and turned to Fiona. To his surprise he found her awake and looking back at him with a small smile.

"You're awake," she stated.

Adam smiled. "I'm merely resting with my eyes open."

They laughed. After a moment he grew serious.

Adam looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm glad you're coming with me," he told her. He was going to a family event for the first time in years, and he was actually bringing the woman he loved as his date. He was over the moon.

Fiona softly laughed and grabbed his hand. She brought it to her lips and kissed his fingers. "Me too," she responded. After a moment she placed his hand on her right breast.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're ready for round two?" Adam was surprised that she had the energy.

She grinned at him. "The night is young."

Spending the night together at the condo was rare opportunity these days. He looked at her for a few seconds before quickly reaching for her. They were both laughing as he pulled her on top of him.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: In the next part we'll get to the wedding.

**Reviews = Woo hoo!**


	5. Thoughts, part 1

"The Wedding" – part 5

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

5-

Audra Torres looked in the rearview mirror and studied the faces in the back seat. Six teenagers were piled in the vehicle. Days like this she wished they had kept the minivan. Instead she and her husband, Omar, opted to rent one for their drive to the wedding. They had been driving for an hour and a half and were almost there. The wedding reception was on the U.S. side of the Niagara Falls.

The stop at Customs had been uncomfortable. They didn't have any bags so it should have been quick. As an American citizen Fiona went to a different line. Adam went with her since he also had a U.S. passport. Audra had wanted him to line up with the rest of the family, but Omar figured he would get hassled less because he used his American passport on his last trip to the States.

He was wrong. One customs agent appeared incapable of understanding why Adam's paperwork said female while he presented as male. He was also agitated that Adam had dual citizenship, questioning why he didn't line up with his Canadian relatives. It was annoying but they all resisted the urge to hurl colorful language at the agent. When Adam was finally cleared they piled back into the car and drove on.

Adam shrugged it off, telling them that he had worse experiences clearing Customs in the past. That comment did little to improve morale, but it did get Fiona talking about some wacky experiences she had while travelling. Her stories made them laugh.

Audra studied the girl in the mirror. She wasn't sure about introducing her to the rest of the family, but they couldn't hide her forever. It wouldn't be fair to Adam and Fiona, plus it simply wasn't practical. Since Adam was discharged from the hospital last month, the girl had practically lived them. Audra and Omar were fine with it because they finally understood that Fiona and Adam were going to be together for the long haul. Marriage was in their future. Since they were so serious, hiding their relationship from the rest of the family didn't seem right.

Audra smiled when noticed the young couple were holding hands. She knew Adam put on a brave face but he inside he was as nervous about this as she was. Fiona intrinsically understood that and her small gesture did wonders to soothe her son. Audra was grateful for this.

Next to Adam and Fiona sat his friend Clare. In addition to his girlfriend, he was bringing two friends. He had discussed it with Gia. They both agreed there was strength in numbers. Audra thought it was very insightful. Adam's friend, Eli sat in the last row along with Drew and his date.

Audra wasn't sure what this day would entail, but she was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. As if sensing her anxious thoughts, Omar turned to look at her.

"It's going to be okay," he said softly. He didn't wait for a response as he grabbed her hand. His touch was comforting. Audra began to relax as she looked out the window.

-oOo-

Drew looked over at the girl sitting next to him and smiled. Jess looked up and tucked a lock of her lock dark brown hair behind her ear. Drew thought she looked amazing in her deep green party dress. He felt very lucky to have her as his date. It took some convincing.

"_Hey Jess, you're looking lovely today." Drew Torres grinned at the sophomore as she shut her locker. She gave him an appraising look as she locked it._

"_Drew, what do you want?" she asked coolly. They had been off and on again this year. Right now they were off. Drew just wouldn't commit. It drove her crazy because she liked him so much. Whenever things moved toward exclusivity he backed away. He had told her before that he was once bitten, twice shy._

"_Can't I give you a compliment?" he asked coyly._

_She wasn't buying it. "I find that you always have an agenda," she replied and crossed her arms._

_Drew paused. He did have something he wanted to ask her. Something rather important, but he didn't want to prove her right. He internally debated which way to go._

_Jess sighed impatiently._

"_I have an offer for you," he said diplomatically._

_She rolled her eyes. "And that is?"_

"_How would you enjoy delicious free food, great music, dancing, and lively conversation?" he asked._

_Jess thought about it for a moment before shyly meeting his eyes. "T-that sounds nice," she stated._

_Drew let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Are you free this Saturday?"_

_She nodded._

"_I'll pick you up around 9AM?" he inquired._

_She furrowed her brows. "What kind of date occurs that early on the weekend?"_

_Drew chuckled nervously. "A wedding date."_

_She huffed annoyed. "That's what you wanted? A date for a wedding so you won't have to go alone?" She wished she still had her locker open so she could slam it in his face. She turned to walk away._

"_Jess, wait! It's important," he pleaded._

"_How many other girls have you asked?" she questioned. In her mind she screamed, '_Do you even want to be with me?_'_

"_No one else!" he answered quickly. She studied him for a moment. He leveled with her, "Heading to a family wedding isn't exactly first date material. You and I have a history. You've been around my mom before. You're the only one that could make this fun."_

"_So am I just your entertainment? No thanks, Drew!" She walked away from him._

"_Crap," Drew muttered. He wished he had been smoother when he brought up the wedding. He ran to catch up with her. "Please," he begged._

_He really didn't get it. "Why would I want to go to your family wedding, Drew? It's not exactly how a girl wants to meet the family," she told him. She wanted to be his girlfriend and he just wanted a girl on his arm. A generic plus one._

_Drew looked into her eyes. "Like I said, it's important," he started. "Adam is going to the wedding… as Adam."_

_Jess looked at him with understanding."Really?" Everyone at Degrassi knew Adam was transgendered, but from what Drew had told her in the past, most of his extended family didn't know._

_Drew nodded. "Everyone on my stepmom's side is going to be there. Adam's bringing a hot date so I want to give him a run for his money," he added in jest._

_Jess softly laughed._

"_I know it's a lot to ask, but I promise we'll have a good time," he pressed._

_The warning bell rang._

"_Drew, I've got to get to class."_

"_Will you think about it?" he asked her._

_She nodded. "I'll let you know."_

The following day he received a text from Jess. She had let him sweat a bit before saying yes. He was delighted to have her as his date for night.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: I've written a few more chapters so I decided to go ahead about post another chapter. I'm far enough along that I can regularly update. I'll alternate between doing so once or twice :D

Anyway, some Fadam "thoughts" ahead in the next chapter...


	6. Thoughts, part 2

"The Wedding" – part 6

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

6-

In the middle row Fiona furrowed her brows as she looked out the window.

She was starting to think they were lost. She had been to Niagara Falls a few times as a child. Once on the Canadian side and twice on the U.S. side. It seemed like they passed the same park more than once.

She turned to Adam and saw that he was absorbed in a new comic book. The sight made her smile. She looked past him and she saw Clare listening to headphones. She had to admit that Adam had achieved an impressive feat. Eli and Clare were actually going as wedding dates. Technically, just as friends, but the fact that these two were going together at all surprised her.

Last semester there had been moments of open hostility between them. She had thought a reunion wasn't in the cards, especially since they both had dated other people, but now it was anyone's guess. The two had been hanging out more as a late. Adam's invite couldn't have come at a better time. However, when asked about it they got defensive. The official party line was that they were still frenemies, but Adam and Fiona knew better.

Her thoughts turned to the wedding. In truth, inside she was a ball of nerves. But she knew what she felt was small in comparison to the inner turmoil that the love of her life was experiencing.

_Fiona smiled as she entered the room. Adam was on the floor doing crunches. He started working out regularly when he joined the basketball team last fall. But now that a date was set for his top surgery he paid much more attention to diet and exercise. Since returning to Degrassi three weeks ago he could be found in the weight room nearly every day._

_She watched as he finished his set._

"_You can sit, you know," Adam teased._

_He raised himself from the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced around the room for one of his button down shirts. He didn't see any in sight. Perhaps it was silly, but he felt a little self-conscious just wearing a binder shirt around her. It usually was all he had on when they were hooking up, but in the heat of the moment he didn't care. Right now he did because he was wearing an old one that didn't flatten very well. He hated that the shape of his chest was visible._

_Fiona sat down next to him. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could she kicked off her shoes and curled up on the bed._

_He chuckled and joined her. "Comfy?" he asked as he lay beside her. He loved that she felt so at home in his bed._

"_Yep!" she nodded. Fiona looked at him for a long moment. Staring into his eyes was something that never got old. She reached for his hand and smiled as their fingers intertwined. "Is there something on your mind?" she asked._

_As dedicated as he was to fitness these days, he didn't usually exercise in the middle of the day. She knew that physical activity was his distraction of choice when he didn't want to think._

_Adam shrugged and looked away. "No." He quickly realized it was no use. She knew him well and wasn't buying it. "Well, I was just thinking about things."_

"_Is this about the wedding?" she asked delicately._

_It was just a few days away. They had already picked out their outfits. She loved her dress and thought all the girls looked beautiful. Adam had gotten a new suit but he wouldn't let her see it ahead of time. Sure it was nerve-wracking to meet Adam's grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, uncles, and various cousins but she could only imagine how nervous he was about it all. This was huge step for him. The people who had known him since birth as Gracie were finally going to meet him as the guy he really was._

"_Yeah," he said softly. "I just don't want you to walk into an ambush."_

_When he thought about it, really thought about it, he figured if the worst happened he could deal with being shunned by his relatives. It would be painful, but he could get through it – or so he told himself. After all, he had faced this kind of rejection for years. What really bothered him was the idea of Fiona going through that unpleasantness. It would be bringing her into the lion's den. He knew it wasn't possible to shield her from the world or the ignorance they faced as a couple, but he had a strong desire to protect her._

_Fiona shook her head. "I'm a big girl. I want to be there," she reminded him. "I know you're scared, and that's okay," she added addressing the five hundred pound gorilla in the room. No matter how brave a front he put up, she knew he was worried about being rejected by his family._

_Adam sighed. "It took my mom years to come to terms with it. I still don't think she fully accepts or understands but she is much better than she used to be. I don't think they're going accept me overnight."_

_She cupped his cheek. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together." She looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you."_

_Adam smiled. He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to hers. "I love you too."_

When she looked up, Adam was smiling at her.

"What are you thinking about?" Fiona asked curiously.

He paused, purposefully building up suspense. "How much I love you," he said sincerely.

In the row behind them Eli made a gagging noise. Clare, Drew, and Jess laughed.

"You're killing me here! Death by cheese," Eli mercilessly teased.

Adam rolled his eyes.

"Guys, keep it down," Audra scolded, reminding them about the noise level. They were close to the reception location and she was studying the map.

The irony was that he had been completely honest. He had been thinking about how much he loved her! He was so happy that she was coming with him to the wedding. He knew there were bound to be awkward moments, but the fact was four months ago his mother would have been absolutely set against it. She likely would have asked him to stay home. Yet, here they were.

It was amazing to him, especially since six weeks ago he had been so despondent that he felt his only option was end it all.

Adam shuddered when he thought of that terrible low. Somehow he managed to make it through the darkest night and see the sun rise again. Adam looked at the girl next to him and smiled. He had promised himself as long as she wanted him, he would be there. No insecurity or fear would stand in the way. He was overjoyed to find that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. It was what he wanted more than anything too.

"I wasn't kidding, you know," he quietly told her.

Fiona looked deeply into his eyes. "I didn't think you were."

.

tbc

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A/N: I think I'm going to post the next part tonight. **Reviews = Awesome ;-)**


	7. Reunions

"The Wedding" – part 7

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, alerts, and faves! It's great to know you guys are enjoying this story :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

7-

As they walked to the reception area out back, Eli felt nervous. Here he was across the border in the United States at a family wedding of his best friend. He was an outsider. If they didn't like him, he had nothing to lose. He had no reason to feel apprehension or trepidation, but he did. He realized he was feeling it on the behalf of Adam. They all were to some degree. Drew looked rather stoic. His date Jess, was quiet. Mr. and Mrs. Torres were unreadable as they led the group toward the festivities. Clare, who was usually bubbly, was quite withdrawn. He glanced back at the couple trailing behind. Adam and Fiona were holding hands and she seemed to be whispering in his ear. He could only imagine what about.

He sighed. '_Why did I agree to come?_' he thought. It was a rhetorical question. He came to support his friend. So much had happened in the last four months. They came close to losing Adam _twice_. First in a brutal attack, then in an incident that was self-inflicted.

Eli grimaced.

He hated thinking about what Adam had almost done. And the amount of pain and despair he had been in. Eli hated himself not seeing it sooner. It was all because his best friend believed living as Adam was impossible. If his family didn't accept him, Eli knew it would be devastating. He was hoping that something positive would come out of today.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Clare asked softly.

Eli smiled at her perceptiveness. "I'm just looking forward to the food!" he grinned.

Clare smiled. "Of course," she said in jest.

It was weird being here with Clare as his date. Granted they weren't on a "date, date" but still… They would be sitting together. Dancing together. All that jazz. After arguing most of the fall they came together in the wake of Adam's suicide attempt. He could safely call her a friend again, but he couldn't deny that felt a spark every time he looked into her eyes.

They exited the corridor and entered a large outdoor space. It looked like a park beside the lake, though there were also structures in place for the wedding reception. Eli noted the large wood finish dance floor toward his right. On the grass there were long, elegant tables setup with buffet style food and circular tables with white and pink accented tablecloths for guests.

In the entrance way to the seating area stood three boys, all wearing suits. He deduced they were here for the wedding. They had dark wavy hair and olive skin. The oldest looked about fifteen, while the youngest appeared around ten.

"Aunt Audra and Uncle Omar?" the middle boy called out.

Audra smiled and pulled her nephew in a hug. "Filiberto! Every time I see you, you get bigger!" she teased.

"We're ushers!" Carlito, the youngest boy, proudly told them as they began to exchange hugs.

The three boys paused when they spotted Adam. He looked very different from the cousin they knew. He wore a modern dark gray suit with a black dress shirt and solid gray tie. His medium length brown hair, which was layered on top and shorter on the sides and back, was slicked back.

After a moment Mateo, the eldest boy, spoke. "Wow, Grace," he blinked and quickly corrected himself. "I mean, Adam."

Adam smirked. Somehow he got the feeling that was going to happen a lot today.

"This look suits you," Mateo continued with a grin, keeping with his tradition of puns. His younger brothers nodded in agreement. "No offense, but I never really saw you as a girl." His cousin was only two years older than him. Growing up they had similar interests. More than he did with Andrew.

"Why_ would_ I be offended?" Adam teased.

Mateo grinned wider at Adam's response. The banter between them was just like old times.

Carlito rushed forward and gave Adam a hug. "I missed you," he said in a small voice. Every time he and his brothers asked about Grace they were told she would visit next time. After a while they realized those were empty words.

Adam picked up his ten year old cousin with ease, which caused the boy to laugh. Carlito was happy because the last time he had seen Grace he was seven and had been told that he was getting too big to pick up.

"I missed you too," Adam told him. Mateo and Filberto grinned at each other before throwing their arms around their older cousin, surrounding him in a group hug.

Audra had tears in her eyes as she and her husband watched the scene unfold. Drew was laughing and exchanged an optimistic look with Fiona, who was also laughing.

Several feet away at a table, Pedro Calderón turned to his wife before standing up, "Let's go. At this rate by the time they get seated the reception might be over," he joked. He wanted to welcome them in and help them to their table. As the couple made their way to the entrance their two children came up to them.

"Adam's here!" Juan and Benjamin shouted excitedly. They had spent time with their cousin last summer in New York and had been looking forward to seeing him.

"Boys, stay here. Let him breath first," he teased. Pepe, as he was called, smiled at his wife as they continued onward.

Lily Calderón had been skeptical of Adam. She was worried that having him over for dinner might confuse their kids. Despite her reservations she found that she had been wrong. The boys accepted that their cousin 'Grace' was now 'Adam' with little fanfare. They enjoyed his visits and would talk of comics or video games. Her acceptance of Adam had been more difficult trajectory.

She had been the hospital with her husband, Pepe, the night Audra went into labor. She remembered the first time she saw the child – a beautiful little girl who looked like an angel. She had been jealous that Audra had a daughter. Lily and Pepe tried for years to have kids. When they finally did they had two sons. She loved her children more than anything, but for a long time she longed for a daughter. To see Grace over the years become a tomboy disturbed her. When she found out her niece was living as a boy she urged Pepe to talk some sense into his sister. Instead he gave the boy a summer job at his business.

As she looked at Adam now, she couldn't help but smile. Her nephews were smiling and laughing as they conversed. He was still holding little Carlito.

"You know, there's a whole party going on. You're supposed to be guiding them to their seats," Uncle Pepe told the boys with mock seriousness. They looked at him meekly and he laughed.

"Pepe," Audra smiled. The siblings hugged. Lily followed suit.

He then trained his eyes on his newest nephew. He was delighted he was here. "Adam, come here!"

Eli grinned. He had heard stories and seen pictures, but it was great to finally meet Adam's cool uncle. From what his friend told him, he was a kind and decent man. He accepted Adam right off the back and supported his decision to begin transitioning with hormones.

Adam smiled as he walked over to his uncle.

"Nice suit!" the older man complimented him. The two hugged. "I'm glad you came."

Adam nodded, not quite trusting himself with words. He was already beginning to feel overwhelmed, but it was good feeling.

"Drew! Come on over here," Uncle Pepe laughed. They hugged as well. "Looking sharp as well." The teenager was wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and light blue tie.

Drew shrugged, causing Adam and Uncle Pepe to laugh. The man looked around and grinned again when he spotted another familiar face.

"Fiona!" the older man called out.

She had been standing slightly off to the side, watching the family greetings unfold with Eli, Clare, and Jess. She was slightly startled to be called in for a hug. Then again, she had met Adam's uncle in New York City. She went with Adam to a few dinners in the Bronx with his extended family last summer.

"Hi," she said shyly as he pulled her into a hug.

"It's good to see you again! You look lovely," he told her. She was wearing a two toned party dress that matched with Adam's attire. The top part was white, there was a black band around the middle, and the bottom part was a dark gray color with black stripes. It was ruffled and came to mid-thigh length.

"Thanks. It's good to see you too." She glanced over at Adam and found him watching her with a bright smile.

Adam wanted to grab her hand again, but he held back. Introducing everyone to Adam was a huge step. Fiona was his date for the evening, but they decided to let everyone draw their own conclusions. However, he was certain most of them already knew about them. He watched as his Aunt Lily also gave Fiona a hug.

.

tbc

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A/N: I gotta say, Uncle Pepe is one of my favorite OCs. You'll see more of him in this story and in another Fadam future fic I'm writing.

Also, there will be more descriptions of what the characters are wearing in upcoming chapters.

**Reviews = Very Cool :D**


	8. Uneven Support

"The Wedding" – part 8

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: There's some Spanish sprinkled throughout this chapter. (Spanglish returns!) See the note at the end for translations :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

8-

Elisa Calderón Martin looked on curiously at the scene unfolding nearby. She was surprised to see that her _niece_ looked like an ordinary teenage boy. If they passed each other on the street, she would assume the girl was male. It was strange because when she thought of Gracie, the mental image that came to mind was a smiling little girl with a big imagination. As a child she loved to read and dream up new worlds.

When Grace was born, Elisa declared that she was the spitting image of Audra's first husband, Ernesto. The Spaniard, as they referred to him, was blond and fair skinned. Looking at _Adam_ now, he reminded her of a younger version of his father with darker hair. Like Ernesto, who had boyish good looks, Adam was handsome and appeared to be younger than his age. She suspected he probably would for some time.

Last night at the rehearsal dinner they had discussed how to the broach to the issue of Audra's transgendered child.

"_I am worried about _los niños_," Elisa declared. "My girls are grown, but there will be many young children that will be confused."_

_Pepe rolled his eyes. "My sons are eleven and eight. They had no problem accepting Gracie as Adam. This is a non-issue."_

_Elisa frowned. "How can you say it's a non-issue? I think it's a pretty big deal that our niece is living as a boy!"_

"_Calm down," Lily hissed. Her husband and his sister usually got into arguments at family gatherings but this was a very sensitive subject._

"Gracias nuera_," Abuela Lucia thanked her daughter-in-law._

_Pepe and Elisa looked sheepish as they turned towards their mother._

"_Adam is coming to tomorrow, not Gracie. This is as it should be and we'll all have to adjust," Abuela Lucia lectured them._

"_Mama, I couldn't agree with you more," Pepe smiled._

_Elisa shook her head. "I'm not saying she shouldn't be—"_

"_He," Pepe corrected her. "Can't you at least try?" he asked annoyed._

"_I _am_ trying!" Elisa argued. "I'm just saying there will be a lot of children at the wedding tomorrow and this is going to be confusing for them."_

"_It's still confusing for me," Abuela Lucia admitted. "I don't know if I'll ever understand, but _mi nieto _told me that I don't have to. _Pero_ we have to accept who he is because if we don't, we won't have him in our lives."_

_Elisa felt a pang in her chest, knowing exactly what her mother was referring to._

"Is that Grace?" her eldest daughter Linda whispered.

Elisa looked up.

Linda and her husband, Ken, were staring back at her with questioning looks. Their daughter, Sam, sat in between them. The five year old was fully immersed in her coloring book with her crayons in hand, completely oblivious to the inquiry of the adults.

"Yes, that's _Adam_."

-oOo-

"There's a million people to say hello to, but let's get you guys to your seats?" Pepe suggested once all the hugs and introductions had been made.

"Sounds like a plan," Omar told his brother-in-law.

The group followed Pepe and Lily to an empty table. Their progress was slower than he would have liked, because despite his best efforts they were pulled into many conversations along the way. He triumphantly smiled when they finally took their seats.

"Who's the man?" Pepe joked.

Audra gave her brother a look. "Only took like three hours," she teased.

He shrugged. "Details, details."

Drew and Adam looked at each other and smiled. Their uncle brought out their mother's playful side. "Oh yeah, this is going to be an interesting day," Drew whispered. Eli, who was sitting beside Jess, smirked at his comment.

Fiona also cracked a smile. She was sitting next to Adam. "So when do you think we're actually get some food?"

Adam laughed. "See! And everyone jumped on me for suggesting we go to the drive thru at McDonald's."

She grinned at him. "Fine. You _may_ have had a point," she conceded. She reached for his hand underneath the table. She felt him momentarily stiffen. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable so she withdrew. He surprised her by taking her hand.

They locked eyes and both their hearts skipped a beat. In this moment all the stress regarding this day faded away. Nothing else mattered outside of here and now.

"Adam," a familiar voice called out.

He abruptly let go of Fiona's hand and quickly turned towards the speaker.

Eli couldn't help but chuckle. He had teased Adam in the past that if he and Fiona had to keep their relationship under wraps they would be screwed. The way they felt about each other just oozed out, even without any apparent PDA. In his view, Adam had managed to hide their relationship for the first week they dated due in large part to willful ignorance of Degrassi students. They didn't think a girl like Fiona would date a guy like Adam so they missed all the obvious signs.

Fiona looked at Adam with love in her eyes. Adam was more guarded with his emotions, but he often looked at her with open affection as well. Eli wondered how things would play out tonight. They weren't actively hiding their relationship, but they weren't screaming it from rooftops either.

"Abuela Lucia," Adam said surprised. He moved to stand up.

The elderly woman smiled at him. She had just exchanged hugs with her daughter, son-in-law, and older grandson. Adam's side conversation with the young lady sitting next to him hadn't escaped her notice. When he reached her, she pulled him into a warm hug. She had seen her younger grandson just a few weeks ago, but seeing him again this soon was a treat.

"_Ay, que guapo estás_," she told them once they pulled apart.

Adam smiled shyly at the compliment. "_Gracias_," he told her.

Drew grinned broadly at their exchange.

Adam glanced at Fiona and took a deep breath. Despite having visited following both hospital stays, his grandmother and his girlfriend had never met. It seemed almost improbable because these days Fiona practically lived with them, however when Abuela Lucia visited a few weeks ago she had been with her parents in New York.

His eyes quickly darted to his mother, who conveyed an encouraging look.

"_Abuela_, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Adam told her. Inside he was a bundle of nerves. Outwardly he had to steady his hands because they were shaking. His grandmother was still smiling, seemingly oblivious to his turmoil. She looked at him expectantly.

Abuela Lucia knew this moment was coming. From the moment she was told that her grandson was bringing friends to the wedding she knew she had to mentally prepare herself to meet the girl. '_La novia de mi nieto,'_ she thought to herself. With Drew she would have given it little thought. But with Adam, she still had some issues to work through. It was no accident that each time she visited the Torres residence his girlfriend wasn't around. She had told Audra she wasn't ready to meet her.

She didn't understand Adam's gender identity issues but she firmly accepted and supported him. She loved her grandson and wanted him to happy, but she was still struggling with the fact he was dating this girl. Was the brunette partly responsible for his desire to live as a boy? Did being with her put him on the radar of bullies in the first place?

"This is Fiona Coyne," he told her, doing his best to keep his nervousness out of his voice. He looked at Fiona and immediately felt braver. "Fiona, this is Abuela Lucia, my grandmother."

"Nice to meet you," Fiona said warmly. She extended her hand.

Abuela Lucia looked at Adam. "_Tu novia_?" she questioned with a wry smile.

He chuckled nervously. "Yes, my girlfriend," he affirmed.

Clare grinned broadly at the admission. She looked over and saw Eli had a smirk on his face. Drew was also watching with a smile.

Abuela Lucia softly laughed as did Fiona. She turned to the girl, "It's nice to meet you too." Instead of shaking her hand she initiated a short hug. "We're huggers," she mentioned lightly as they pulled away.

Adam had a huge smile on his face, relieved that introducing them had gone so well. He wasn't sure what to expect. He glanced over at Drew. The brothers grinned, both happy and relieved at this outcome.

Abuela Lucia resolved to reserve judgment on the girl. Now that they finally met she thought the girl seemed nice enough. However, she still wasn't sure what to make of the girl's relationship with her grandson. While it was obvious to her that the two teens shared a connection, on appearances she seemed like a better fit for Drew than Adam. If she hadn't seen pictures of Fiona beforehand, she would have guessed that either of the other two girls was involved with Adam.

"_Abuela_, I'd also like to introduce you to my best friends, Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards," Adam said, interrupting her thoughts.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Wow, Mrs. Torres is cracking jokes! ;-) And as probably anticipated, not everyone is readily accepting of Adam or his relationship with Fiona...

Hope the Spanish wasn't too hard to follow! Would like to clarify, Audra has one sister (Elisa) and two brothers (Pepe & Miguel, who is deceased). Abuela Lucia is Audra's mother. In this story, Grams from the show is Mr. Torres' mother.

Will update tomorrow. **Reviews = Majorly cool :D**

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Translations:

_Los niños_ = the children

_Gracias_ = Thank you

_Abuela_ = grandmother

_Nuera_ = daughter-in-law

_Mi nieto_ = my grandson

_Pero_ = but

_Ay, que guapo estás_ = how handsome you are!

_Tu novia? _= Your girlfriend?


	9. Ogling You

"The Wedding" – part 9

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Return on the OCs from chapter 1 :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

9-

"Thank you for coming," Gia said warmly to Mr. and Mrs. Perez as they headed back to their seats. They were her husband's aunt and uncle. She smiled as she looked over at Eddie. Though he was sitting right beside her, the two had been preoccupied with greeting relatives and guests as they came to the table of the Bride and Groom to extend their well wishes. Gia was happy to have a small break in conversation.

It was entertaining to watch Eddie in action. He had a natural warmth and charisma that usually lit up the room. He was a lot of fun to be around and loved to talk with people. She sighed happily as she studied him. She thought he looked quite handsome in his formal military uniform. She wanted him to wear a tuxedo but she was glad that he insisted on wearing it instead.

"Ahem!" she heard someone cough.

Gia turned around to see her best friend, Shauna, smirking at her.

"You know, you have all the time in the world to ogle your husband on your wedding night," she teased.

Gia frowned as her friend laughed. "Very funny," she said annoyed. "Especially with a million relatives in earshot."

Shauna covered her mouth. "Oops, my bad."

Despite herself Gia laughed. "Remember to be on your best behavior," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Yeah, yeah," Shauna dismissed her. "Anyway your hot cousin Andrew is here and he brought friends."

Gia immediately made a face. It was icky when Shauna referred to her cousin that way.

Shauna merely grinned at her. "Hey, he's not jailbait anymore!"

Gia shook her head before following her friend's line of sight. She quickly spotted Andrew heading over to the buffet tables. He looked debonair in his dark suit. Nearby were Aunt Audra and Uncle Omar. Her aunt wore a sophisticated wine colored cocktail dress with a modest layered v-shaped neckline. Her uncle was wearing a black suit with a light blue dress shirt and striped dark blue tie. She noticed the additional guests right away. One was clearly Drew's date. She had long, dark brown hair that was teased into curls and wore a green party dress.

"His guy friends are _hot_," Shauna commented.

Gia shook her head as her eyes took in a guy wearing a black striped suit. Under the jacket he wore a vest along with a navy blue dress shirt and tie of the same color. He had shaggy black hair and stood next to a short girl with curly auburn hair. She had on burgundy colored knee length party dress with an asymmetrical neckline.

"You know, _they_ might be underage," Gia teased.

"Whatever," Shauna dismissed her. "Who's that guy in the dark gray suit? He's definitely the hottest," she said excitedly.

Gia laughed as she turned to her friend. "How would I know? We'd have to ask Adam."

Shauna looked at her bemused. "Why would we have to ask him?"

"Because he's the one who brought friends. Not Andrew," Gia told her.

She returned her gaze to the buffet tables. Where was her cousin? She hadn't noticed when the Torres family arrived because she had been busy with greeting guests all morning. She did remember how he looked from the pictures on FaceRange. She smiled upon recognizing his girlfriend Fiona. She was even more stunning in person. Her curly brown hair was swept in an updo, with a few strands framing her face. She had on a beautiful white, black, and dark gray party dress. The bottom was ruffled and mid-thigh length. The color matched her date's suit.

Gia's smile widened when she spotted Adam. He stood close to Fiona and the two were laughing. He looked great in his dark gray suit. His dress shirt was black and he wore a gray tie. His medium brown hair was combed back. He looked happy and relaxed. She turned to her friend with a wicked grin.

"Actually, I do know who that is," she started. "You guys already met."

"Really?" Shauna grinned. "What's his name?"

-oOo-

Drew immediately frowned. He had just sat down to eat his food. He had taken a few bites when they were still on line at the buffet. It was delicious! There were a plethora of Puerto Rican dishes such as _arroz con pollo_, _empanadas_, _taquitos_, and _tostones_! With some overlap there were also Mexican dishes. Gia's new husband Eddie hailed from Central Mexico. Drew had happily piled _carnitas_ and _barbacoa_ onto his plate.

"Our food isn't going anywhere," Audra reasoned. She shook her head at the clearly disappointed faces. "We have to say hello to the bride and groom!"

Adam stood up, ignoring his empty stomach. "Mom's right. We can eat afterward. Let's go."

"Thank you Adam!" Audra smiled. It was nice to have back up.

As they walked over to the bridal party table Jess nudged her date.

"You might want to pick up your face. Just a suggestion," she quipped.

Drew smiled at her. "Sorry. I'm just really friggin' hungry," he said honestly.

"Do you want some gum?" she asked.

He made a face. "No, then my taste buds will be off."

Jess laughed at him.

"Hey!" he said feigning offense. He casually wrapped his arm around her shoulder and grinned. "I'm glad that you're here," he told her.

Jess smiled broadly. "Me too."

Clare looked at Eli and smiled. "They're cute."

Eli shrugged. "All's well that ends well."

Clare furrowed her brows. "You're cynicism lives on, even at weddings!" she noted.

Eli smirked at her. "I'm just saying, everyone's more lovey-dovey at weddings," he observed. In his head he continued, '_except Adam_.' He had noticed the hot and cold body language his friend displayed towards Fiona. He could tell the younger boy wasn't sure how to act at times. He hoped Adam would become more comfortable as the day went by.

Adam and Fiona were walking together, but he was walking slightly ahead of her with his hands in his pockets. He was closed off.

"Even more so when the dancing begins," Eli continued in a cheery voice.

Clare nodded. "True."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: I can't believe it's snowing again! This been a crazy winter here in NYC. Anyway, thanks for the reviews!

As promised, provided more descriptions of their clothes. In the next chapter Gia and Adam will finally meet again! I will most likely post it tonight. Either that or a one-shot I finished.


	10. Now & Then

"The Wedding" – part 10

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys!

Raidon – To answer your question, Adam hasn't had any surgeries yet. This takes place in April of his Junior year. In the timeline, he's slated to undergo top surgery in June.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

10-

Adam watched as his cousin came out from around the table and gave his mother a hug. "I'm so glad you guys made it," he heard her say. "I know the directions were a little confusing."

"It was nothing," his mother told her. "We're here now and are thrilled to be a part of your big day!"

Gia smiled broadly and introduced her husband.

"It's nice to meet you all," she heard Eddie say as she searched for her cousin in the group.

When her eyes fell on Adam, the two of them regarded each other for a brief moment. She wondered if she would have been able to recognize him without FaceRange. He was taller than she realized from pictures. He had her beat by several inches. Though he was far from brawny, his lean and athletic build was quite different from the skinny kid she knew.

Adam grinned widely at his cousin. Gia looked beautiful. She wore a sleeveless white evening dress with a layered v-neckline and lovely pink bands around the waist. Her hair was curled in an elegant updo complete with eye-catching white bead accessories.

"Gia, you look amazing!" Adam said sincerely, cutting through the silence.

"Adam," she said simply before coming towards him and pulling him into an emotional hug. Her eyes started to tear up as she thought about how much she had missed him and how close they came to losing him. Seeing him in person left no doubt in her mind that what happened to Adam had been a hate crime. Pure and simple. Someone evil and twisted wanted to remind him that despite how he identified he wasn't a 'real' guy.

As they pulled apart she pushed the sad thoughts away, determined to focus on the present. He was safe and they were all here together celebrating a special day.

"Hey, no tears," Adam said softly.

Gia smiled. "Wouldn't want the mascara to run?" she said in jest.

"No, that would be tragedy," he joked. The two cousins laughed.

Clare glanced around. Everyone watching looked misty eyed, even Eli. She was no different, she acknowledged as she dabbed her eyes.

Eddie walked over to his wife. "And none of us would ever hear the end of it," he chimed in. Gia turned to him and smiled.

"Adam, this is my husband Eddie," she introduced him.

Eddie grinned as he stepped forward. He noticed the height difference between them right away. He was 5"6 and Adam had a few inches on him at 5"9. The boy towered over his wife, who stood at just 5"3.

"It's great to finally meet you, man. I've heard lots about you," Eddie greeted him.

"Likewise," Adam smiled. They shared a short hug. "Congratulations!" he told them once they pulled apart.

"Thank you. It's nice to be back here on leave so we could finally celebrate," Eddie said honestly. Today was an incredible day and he was literally bursting with happiness.

"Just nice?" Gia teased him. They all laughed.

"Hey," Eddie said feigning offense. He turned to Adam. "I'm glad you came. I know it means a lot to my wife."

Adam looked at Gia and smiled. "I'm overjoyed to be here with you guys," he said in earnest.

"Good!" Gia laughed. "So, more introductions?" she nudged. She wanted to formally meet his girlfriend.

"Right," Eddie nodded and quickly glanced around. "Where's Fiona?" he blurted out.

Gia frowned at him while everyone around them laughed at his lack of subtly.

"Over here!" Fiona responded in jest. Adam turned towards her and they shared a smile as she came to his side.

"Gia, Eddie, this is my girlfriend Fiona Coyne," he told them. He hadn't been sure whether or not he was going to introduce her using the 'G' word today, but it felt right. Gia and Eddie already knew who she was. It seemed like more relatives than he realized already knew about their relationship, which was a huge relief.

Fiona and Adam shared another brief look. He couldn't stop smiling, and neither could she. She turned to Gia and Eddie with a broad smile. "Hi. It's nice to meet you!"

-oOo-

"Those were really good!" Drew declared as he sat back in his seat and padded his stomach.

Adam grinned at him. His plate had also been decimated. He didn't have room for any more but he longed to grab seconds. "Which dish are you referring to?"

Drew frowned as he considered Adam's question. "All of them," he gave up and laughed. He suddenly burped, which caused him to laugh even more.

"Wow, you're such a gentleman," Fiona teased him. She was happy that she and Adam were sitting across from him, out of his immediate vicinity.

Drew readied himself with a retort but it died on his lips when he remembered his date had witnessed his uncouth behavior. He looked over to his right and sent Jess an apologetic look.

Adam, Fiona, Eli, and Clare were trying hard to hold in their laughter but it was no use. Drew momentarily forgetting Jess was sitting beside him was too funny. Especially, after he had played the role of the doting date to perfection all morning.

"Everyone, may I have your attention!" a voice called out over the sound system. "In five minutes, we're going to throw the bouquet," the emcee announced.

The girls at the tables shared a look and groaned. In grabbing for the bouquet there was usually lots of shoving and some elbowing. None of them were particularly looking forward to it.

"Oh, you've got to love weddings," Eli deadpanned. Clare gave him a look. "No, seriously. I want to know who's getting married next!" He smirked as he looked over at Adam and Fiona.

Adam gave him a death stare, causing Drew to laugh in response.

"What?" Eli said innocently.

"Okay, you've got jokes now but you do know that there's going to be a garter toss?" Clare reminded him.

Eli shrugged. "Yeah, not my cup of tea," he remarked.

"Will all the single ladies join us on the dance floor?" the emcee called out.

Jess looked around. Maybe they could just stay at their table. She turned to her right and saw Mrs. Torres looking at her expectantly. She instantly knew that was not an option. Drew gave her a sympathetic look.

"Stay safe," he offered meekly as she left with Clare and Fiona.

Once the girls were out of earshot the boys laughed.

"This is going to be epic!" Drew laughed.

"What do you think? Hair pulling? Nosebleeds?" Eli quipped.

Omar shook his head. He found their comments immature. "Guys," he said in a warning tone.

The smile slid off Drew's face. "Sorry," he apologized. He looked over at his brother. Adam had been oddly quiet. He hadn't joined in on their banter.

Adam sighed as he looked over at dance floor. They looked about ready to start. Most of the women gathered were in their teens and twenties. However, there were some in thirties and forties sprinkled in. Even a few seniors, which made him chuckle. He couldn't help but think about how grateful he was that he didn't have to participate. If he was here as Gracie it would have been incredibly awkward. He was happy that the days of pretending to be her were behind him.

He searched the crowd for his girlfriend. He spotted Fiona towards the middle and smiled. Unlike Eli and Drew, he was hoping the fight for the bouquet wouldn't be too rough. He recalled from past weddings he attended that it could be a free for all. It was crazy how determined some women were to be the last one standing with the bouquet!

Audra studied her son. She had a hunch what he was thinking about. This was one of many traditions that were divided along gender lines. She knew in the past it hadn't been easy for him. The last wedding they attended as a family Adam had been thoroughly miserable. He was still living as Gracie at the time and hated that he was forced to wear a dress. He spent most of the reception sitting at the table, turning down all offers to dance the whole night.

Audra hated to admit this, but at the time she was embarrassed and annoyed that her 'daughter' refused to dance with any of their male relatives, even Andrew! She had received questions about it from her siblings, Elisa and Pepe. Audra was exasperated that her younger child wouldn't play along for just one night. Now she understood the full scope of what she had asked of him. She was proud that Adam had stuck to his convictions. Though she hadn't known it for the first 13 years, he was boy and he was crazy about a girl. She could see the light in Adam's eyes as he watched his girlfriend.

"Epic!" Eli remarked as chaos broke out over the bouquet toss.

Adam had a small smile, happy that Fiona wisely stepped away from the commotion as soon as the flowers were launched in the air.

"Ooh!" Drew called out after witnessing a hard shove.

Adam shook his head at the amusement in his brother's tone. He turned around, ready with a retort but paused when he noticed his mother looking at him with a knowing smile. He returned it with the sense that the first time in a long time, she truly understood him.

.

tbc


	11. Practicality

"The Wedding" – part 11

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

11-

"It's time for the garter toss! Will all the bachelors please come to the dance floor?" the emcee called out.

Drew and Adam shared a look, both wondering if they could stay seated. Even though he was cracking jokes throughout the bouquet toss, Drew didn't find anything humorous about the garter toss. He found it a little gross that they had to watch Eddie removed a piece of lingerie from Gia's thigh and then pretend to actually want to catch it. No thanks!

Adam's hesitancy was tied to not wanting a whole bunch of eyes on him as he joined the other single guys on the dance floor. Given that half the guests remembered him as Gracie, he wasn't looking forward to anything that would draw attention to him.

"So, are we going?" Eli asked, noting neither of the Torres brothers had moved.

Adam awkwardly looked down at his lap, not sure how to answer.

"Okay, let's get a move on guys," a voice ordered them.

Pepe smiled at his nephews. This was the second table he stopped by where he had to rouse stragglers to the dance floor. The bachelors were way worse than the single women with dragging themselves from their seats. He cocked his head to the side. "Drew, Adam, Eli – is it?"

Eli laughed. "Yes," he confirmed as he stood up.

"Ha! See, I never forget a face!" Pepe laughed.

Audra sent her brother a grateful look as Adam and Drew also stood.

Adam exchanged brief smile with Fiona before heading off with his brother and best friend.

-oOo-

Fiona smiled as she watched Adam stand amongst the other single guys. She couldn't help but think he looked right at home. He may have been a little nervous, but it certainly didn't show. He was talking to Drew and Eli. The three of them shared a laugh. The two older boys had a couple of inches on Adam, but the three were certainly on the taller end of the spectrum compared to the other guys on the floor.

"I predict absolutely no fighting this time," Clare quipped.

The girls laughed.

"It's not fair," Jess complained. "The tall lady next to me practically ran me over, yet the guys don't even care."

Fiona grimaced. From where she was standing the near tackle Jess received didn't look pleasant. "Yeah, it is pretty uneven," she agreed. "Single guys aren't rushing to get married," she shrugged.

Clare smirked at her. "Most single guys."

Fiona gave her a look. '_Eli is really rubbing off on her_,' she thought amused.

Adam was still in high school and she was slated to start university in New York in the fall. They weren't planning to get married until they were both done with school. Sure, part of her would love to marry him sooner rather than later, but in their conversations about it Adam stressed the practicality of waiting. She had to agree that it made sense.

"So, are you guys like engaged?" Jess asked.

She was a sweet girl, but at the moment both Fiona and Clare wanted to kick her. It was not a topic they particularly wanted to discuss with Adam's parents at the table. The two friends shared a look.

Audra listened closely. She hadn't discussed this much with her son. They only had a couple of short conversations about it, where she did most of the talking. She was mostly reacting to the way she had found out about it. During his hospital stay in March, Mrs. Coyne had told her that Adam and Fiona previously discussed getting married. Back in _November_. Audra wasn't happy that she was informed of this development secondhand several months later.

Omar glanced at his wife. From what Adam told him, the couple kept it to themselves because they wanted to sort things out first. There was no malicious intent behind waiting to tell them. In his eyes, it was a moot point. They knew Adam and Fiona were serious and truly loved one another. He thought highly of the girl and he knew Audra did too. The two women in his son's life had come a long way and finally put their differences behind them.

"Not officially," Fiona answered hesitantly.

"Oh," Jess said. "But you guys are planning to?"

"Not until we're out of school," Fiona responded curtly.

Jess grinned. "Wow! So you guys are getting married in June?" she asked excitedly.

Audra's eyes widened. She nearly choked on her water.

"No!" Fiona said quickly. "I meant, when we're done with university. That's more than four years away."

-oOo-

"I think everyone's here. When are they gonna start?" Eli grumbled impatiently. He wanted to get back to his seat.

Adam and Drew exchanged a knowing look. "Stragglers!" they said at the same time.

Eli smirked. "Probably."

"Adam! Drew!" an excited voice called out. They turned around to see their cousin Mateo walking towards them. He was followed by an older man with salt and pepper hair, who looked at Adam curiously.

"So you're the ones holding us up?" Eli teased. The older guy didn't look amused.

Mateo shrugged. "I started to walk over but someone mentioned I was too young. Then a minute ago Uncle Pepe stopped by and made me and Greg get up."

Greg gave them a small wave. "Hello boys."

Drew and Adam mumbled, "Hi." Aunt Sarah's boyfriend seemed like an alright guy, but they never quite warmed up to him. However, after a moment Drew piped up.

"I'm surprised to see you here," he told Greg.

Greg snorted. "Apparently dating the mother of the bride for six years doesn't count."

"My mom told him that she didn't see a ring on her finger so he had to line up with the rest of us," Mateo told them. They all laughed. Some cheesy music began playing over the sound system and they knew it was time to begin.

Eddie and Gia appeared on stage and everyone cheered. The groomsmen were the loudest contingent, whooping it up and cracking jokes as he removed the garter from Gia's leg. Once he had it, he raised it up in the air triumphantly. Drew and Adam cringed. Finally he threw it in the air.

To say no one moved would be inaccurate. The men in the front took a few steps back. All of the other guys kept their hands at their sides, so the garter landed on the floor. Eli, Drew, Adam, and Mateo exchanged looks before they burst out laughing.

"Dude, that was epic!" Eli commented as the crowd began to dissipate. Eddie's best man, his brother Hector, was closest to where the garter had fallen so they made him pick it up. His long-term girlfriend was very happy.

"Yeah, that was a complete 180 from what the girls went through," Adam grinned.

Mateo nodded excitedly. "Ugh. I can't imagine having to go through that!" He paused and looked at Adam sheepishly. "Sorry!" he rushed out.

Drew sent him a pointed look.

Adam shook his head. "It's alright. I'm glad I never have to go through that _again_!"

"Cool," Mateo said, happy that he hadn't upset him.

Adam threw an arm around his younger cousin. "Of course!" he laughed. It was a minor flub, but he understood his family knew him as Gracie for most of his life. It was an adjustment, but they seemed to be doing pretty well with it so far.

"Mateo, do you know where the men's room is?" Drew asked.

The younger boy nodded. "Yeah, it's inside the building. I can direct you to it."

"Sweet!" Drew grinned. "I'll see you guys back at the table."

Eli and Adam waved goodbye.

"And then there were two," Eli quipped. "Let's head back to the girls."

"Actually, I'm going to hit up the buffet again. There's some dishes Fiona and I want more of," Adam told him.

Eli groaned. "You're going to wait out that line?" he questioned. Now that both tosses were over people were filling their plates once again.

Adam nodded.

"And they used to say I was whipped," Eli smirked.

"Hey, you sure you don't want to pick up extra for your _date_?" Adam teased.

Eli narrowed his eyes. "Very funny." He knew if Clare asked he wouldn't hesitate, but he didn't want to be so transparent.

"Alright…" Adam trailed off unconvinced. He laughed as he made his way to the buffet.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Wow, today was such a busy day! Surprisingly the commute wasn't so bad, even with all the snow. I live right by the train (booyah!) so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. Hope everyone is coping alright with crazy weather.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are cool :D


	12. Ignorance

"The Wedding" – part 12

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

12-

Satisfied he had gotten seconds of everything he and Fiona wanted, Adam placed another plate on top as a cover and began to walk back towards the tables. He was halfway there when he noticed a familiar face. A tall woman with brown hair and eyes was standing as she talked to a small child. The little girl, who looked about five years old, had crayons in her hand. He smiled broadly and decided to say hello.

"Linda?" he called out. His older cousin looked up startled.

"Gr- Adam?" she stumbled. She stared back at him in wonder.

He shrugged off the name lapse. "Yeah. How are you?" he asked warmly. He rearranged the plate in his hand as he moved in for a hug, which she stiffly returned.

"I'm good. You look so different," Linda stated. He really did remind her of a younger version of Ernesto, Aunt Audra's first husband.

Adam nodded. "Well, yeah," he chuckled. "Is that Sam? She's gotten so big!" he exclaimed. The last time he had seen her she was two years old. The girl was still sitting at the table, coloring a picture. She was adorable with a head full of curly black hair.

"I don't get why you would do that to yourself," Linda told him.

Hearing disapproval in her tone he snapped his eyes to hers. It registered with him that she was not smiling and appeared quite closed off. A feeling of dread washed over him. "This is who I am," he said decisively.

All around them people were smiling and laughing. Adam was kicking himself. He knew not everyone would be happy to see him. He was angry that he allowed himself to be lulled into a false sense of complacency.

Linda sighed. She didn't want to be the bearer of bad news but she couldn't pretend to support her cousin's deviant lifestyle. It was unnatural and she didn't want her daughter exposed to it. "It's not right. You were born a girl," she countered. "_That's_ what you're supposed to be."

Adam blinked. He wasn't sure what to say. He had several things he wanted to hurl in anger, but this wasn't the time or place for a screaming match. He searched his mind for something, _anything_ that might make her understand.

Suddenly he felt someone hug his waist. Someone small. Around seventy pounds to be exact. He looked down to find his young cousin Juan laughing as he held onto his side.

"Hi Adam!" Juan said in a cheery tone.

Despite himself, Adam grinned. Juan was Uncle Pepe's younger son. He was eight years old. "_Hola_ Juan."

Juan smiled as he let go. "Can you pick me up?" he asked excitedly. "I saw you pick up Carlito earlier!" he added.

Adam shrugged. Juan had unknowingly saved him from a painful conversation, so he figured it was the least he could too. "How about I take you back to your parents?" It was only a few tables down from his own.

Juan nodded his head happily. It reminded Adam of a cartoon character. "Deal!"

Adam looked at Linda. "Will you?" he asked curtly, before handing her his plate. To his relief she held onto it with little fanfare. He picked up the younger boy with ease and settled him into one arm. Once he was confident he had a good grip, he took his food from Linda.

He didn't trust himself with words so he merely nodded at her before turning away. "Goodbye _Gracie_," he heard her say. He immediately stiffened.

"You mean Adam!" Juan loudly corrected her, innocent of her intent. Adam smiled at him and resumed walking.

-oOo-

Drew scanned the crowd for his brother. After the garter toss he went to the bathroom and hadn't seen Adam since. He was at the table with Jess, Eli, Clare, and Fiona. His parents had gone to mingle some time ago.

"He's got a kid in his arms," Eli remarked.

Drew furrowed his brows. "Huh?"

Eli smirked and pointed towards Adam. Sure enough he was carrying one of their cousins. It looked like he was going to Uncle Pepe's table.

"Who is he carrying?" Fiona asked Drew curiously. The young boy in his arms looked adorable.

"Looks like Juan. He's Uncle Pepe's son," Drew told him.

Clare grinned broadly. "It seems like kids love him."

Drew laughed. "They usually do." Whenever they had to babysit younger kids he could always count on them gravitating to Adam. It was awesome because he was free to do whatever he wanted while his brother had to watch him. However, curiously enough Adam didn't seem to mind all that much. He had the temperament for it.

Fiona smiled amused. "It's adorable." In their everyday lives they didn't interact with children much. She loved that he had such a way with them. They wanted to raise a family of their own someday, so it made her incredibly happy to see a glimpse of what kind of father he would be.

"Uh oh, I know that look," Eli smirked.

Clare rolled her eyes in advance.

"What is it about kids and babies that make women get all sentimental?" he questioned.

Drew laughed. He knew Eli had stepped on a minefield. "Dude, you're on your own with that one."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I'm not liking Adam's cousin Linda... However, Juan gets a thousand cool points :D

**Reviews = Booyah!** Hehe. I'll probably update with the next chapter tonight!


	13. Acceptance

"The Wedding" – part 13

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: There's some more Spanish sprinkled in, but it's explained pretty much in context.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

13-

"Special delivery for you," Adam announced in jest when he reached Uncle Pepe and Aunt Lily. Juan was laughing as he placed him on the ground.

Lily pulled her son into a hug. "Thanks Adam," she told her nephew. She turned back to Juan and asked, "Do you want any more food?"

Pepe grinned at Adam. "Careful now, wouldn't want to break your back," he joked.

Adam waved him off. "Seventy pounds is nothing."

His uncle raised an eyebrow. "Is it now?"

They both laughed. He motioned for his nephew to sit.

"Sounds like someone's been working out," Pepe commented. Even though he was wearing a suit, Pepe could tell that Adam had filled out quite of bit since he began testosterone injections nine months ago. His shoulders were broader and he had grown in height. Along with his deeper voice and more defined jaw, the differences from the kid who worked for him last summer were striking.

Adam shrugged. "A little. I have to be in shape for basketball." It was a half truth. He did have to stay fit to play, but these days he was trying to get into the best shape possible before having top surgery. The recovery time for it was six to eight weeks and during that period he wouldn't be about to work out at all.

Pepe nodded. "You okay?" he suddenly asked. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he sensed that something was troubling the teen.

Adam quickly shook his head. "I'm fine," he assured his uncle.

Pepe noted the contradictory action but decided not to press it further. "Alright."

"_Hola!_" Abuela Lucia greeted them as she approached the table.

Pepe and Adam looked up. "_Hola Mamá. Como estás?_" Pepe spoke.

-oOo-

Fiona smiled broadly when she saw her boyfriend approach the table. "Adam!" she called out happily. He met her eyes and grinned.

"Princess," he said softly as he came up beside her. He had been gone for a little over thirty minutes but it felt much longer. She was a sight for sore eyes. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her.

"Dude, you like fell off the face of the earth!" Eli commented.

"What he means is we're glad that you're back," Clare amended.

Adam nodded as he placed the food he brought back on the table. Fiona reached out to help and her hand brushed against his. He lingered, savoring the contact.

"I got some more _empanadas_, _tostones_, and a large helping of _arroz con pollo_," he told her. "Also there's a bit of _pernil_ on the side."

Fiona nodded. "This looks great!" She looked up at him and noticed he was still standing. "Sit."

Adam shook his head. "Can't."

"Why not?" she asked confused.

He looked at Drew. "Nana's here."

"She is?" Drew looked around. "When did she get here?"

"Recently… She wants to talk to me," Adam divulged.

A serious expression took hold on his brother's face. "I'm coming with you," he said decisively. He began to stand up.

"No, it's alright," Adam protested.

"A little background here?" Eli asked. He wasn't following the conversation. Clare glanced at him. For once she was in agreement.

"Nana is your great-grandmother, right?" Fiona asked. She had a hunch, but she wasn't sure.

Adam turned to her and nodded. "Yes." The table was silent was a long moment. There was no around it, they knew introducing a ninety year old woman to her 'new' grandson was pretty major.

Abuela Lucia came to the table to collect him. "_¿Estás listo?_" she asked him.

He quickly nodded. "I'll see you guys in a bit," Adam told them before heading off with his grandmother.

Fiona looked after him concerned.

-oOo-

"So what's the worst case scenario?" Fiona asked some time after Adam left. The mood at the table was tense as they waited for him to come back.

Drew turned to her and shrugged. "She doesn't accept him. He'll come back and play it off like everything is fine. But we'll see it in his eyes."

Drew hated the idea of his brother going through that, but it was a real possibility. Adam tended to bottle up his pain. He wanted to appear strong – he hated being perceived as weak. This tendency had caused him a lot trouble. He didn't like to lean on anyone else, so when burdens got too heavy to bear they often learned about it after the fact.

-oOo-

Adam took a deep breath. He was sitting in a chair right next to his great-grandmother. Nana was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico ninety-two years ago. She came to the States in the 1980s, joining Abuela Lucia and her other children who had settled in New York City. She didn't venture upstate often. Adam was happy that she had made it to the wedding, but at the moment he found it hard to meet her eyes. He was afraid of what he might see.

He remembered looking into his cousin's Linda eyes. There was no warmth or understanding there. He could see that she was confused by him, ashamed of him, and repulsed by him. He wasn't what she thought he should be. What she thought he was for the past seventeen years. A girl.

If he saw the same things in Nana's eyes he wasn't sure what he would do. His first instinct would be to lie. He would return to the table and say it went well. Say that she hugged him and only had kind words. He didn't want to place a dark cloud over the day. He didn't want to see his brother's jaw clinch in anger. He didn't want to see pity in his friends' eyes. He didn't want Fiona to look into his eyes and see how deeply being rejected hurt him. No, lying was preferable. He just wasn't sure if he could muster the strength to do it.

"_Bisnieto __mírame_."

Adam blinked. She had called him 'Great-grandson' and asked him to look at her. He quickly raised his head. He met her eyes and they regarded one another for a long moment.

He saw her smile as she reached out to him. She placed a hand on both of his cheeks and continued speaking to him in Spanish. Adam was crying when she finished.

Her words were unexpected. He wondered how he could have thought she would be anything like Linda. She told him that she wanted him to live. She knew about his suicide attempt and said even though life can be hard and cruel, he mustn't give up. He had too much left to do to quit now. He was a young man with many years ahead of him. She loved him and had faith in him.

After speaking to her he felt better than he could remember feeling in a long time. The little things didn't matter. There were many people in his life that loved, accepted, and believed in him. He wasn't going to let them down. Starting with his biggest supporter.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: So, I didn't get a chance to update last night because my internet was down. That really sucked. I had to go downtown and get a replacement for my modem this morning, but I'm online once again!

On the brightside, being internet-less I got some writing done. I really like the next few chapters. Shauna is back. There's an unlikely confrontation. Gia and Adam talk. eClare fans will be interested to find out what the heck is going on with them, lol. And there's _finally_ some dancing! :D

Thanks for the reviews guys! Always awesome to hear what you think ;-)

A/N #2: Thanks for the corrections with the Spanish anonymous and adriancfc! :D


	14. Explain This, part 1

"The Wedding" – part 14

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

14-

"Hey guys!" Adam said brightly as he reached the table.

"Shhh!" Drew hushed him. "They're doing the first dance."

Adam looked over at the dance floor. Gia and Eddie were smiling in the center as the music began to play. The couple took starting positions and began to slow dance to 'At Last' by Etta James.

Drew turned to face his brother. "Is everything okay, bro?" he whispered. He had been more than a little worried.

Adam grinned as he sat down. "Better than I ever could have dreamed."

Drew studied him for a long moment, searching for any hint of deception.

Adam stuck out his tongue. "I'm serious! Now, turn around. You're missing the dance!"

Drew peered at him for a moment longer. He exchanged a quick look with Eli before facing forward again.

"Where is Fiona?" Adam whispered to Eli. He was disappointed to see her seat empty.

"She and Clare went to the restroom," his friend responded. "They've been gone for awhile."

"Oh," he said.

"I don't think they wanted to miss the first dance," Eli continued. "After this the dance floor is open to all."

Adam returned his attention the couple in the middle of the floor. Gia looked radiant. Eddie looked overcome with happiness. The two of them stared lovingly into each others' eyes. Eddie confidently guided them across the dance floor. He and Gia made the steps look effortless. Adam smiled.

He couldn't help but think of Fiona and what their wedding day might be like. He never gave weddings or marriage much thought before. It was always an abstract idea, way off into the future. But since he met her, his future started to come into focus. He wished he could travel in time to when all the minor details and problems would be already sorted out. Where there were no impending separations, or sudden curveballs. Where they could finally be starting their lives together, drama free.

"Dude, are you crying?"

Adam quickly wiped at his eyes but found them dry. He glared at his friend.

Eli laughed heartily. "I was just teasing. You looked a little too sentimental, looking at the happy couple."

Adam shrugged. "I was just thinking."

Eli looked at him. "About what? Is everything okay?" he pressed.

Adam grinned at him. "Everything is perfect. _Really_."

-oOo-

Clare and Fiona breathed a sigh a relief as the door opened. After waiting in line for fifteen minutes to use the women's restroom on the main floor, they decided it would be quicker to look for another one. However, the corridors in the building were confusing and they ended up getting lost. When they finally found a bathroom, the door had been locked. Fortunately they spotted this one further down the hall.

"It has two stalls," Clare noted. "But I think they're occupied."

"And just when we thought the wait was over," Fiona grumbled. It wasn't fair how there were never any lines to use the men's room.

Suddenly they heard two voices, confirming Clare's hunch.

"Here, take this extra roll," Shauna told her friend, Gloria Mercado, as she passed a roll of toilet paper under the stall divider.

"Awesome! You're a lifesaver," Gloria thanked her.

"Yep! So anyway, yeah it's weird," Shauna said continuing their earlier conversation.

"I still can't believe Gia's cousin is a guy now," Gloria commented. She had met Grace a few times. Adam looked so different from the kid she knew.

Fiona realized who they were talking about and immediately stiffened. Clare shot her a look of concern.

"I thought this kind of thing only happened on daytime talk shows," Gloria remarked. She didn't know anyone who was transgendered. Until now.

Clare turned to Fiona. "Do you want to go?" she pressed. It was amazing the kinds of things that flew out of peoples' mouths when they thought no one was listening.

Fiona's expression hardened as she glared at the two stalls. She was angry and hurt that they were talking about the love of her life this way.

Shauna shrugged. "I don't know… looking back it kind of makes sense. Grace pretty much hated me growing up. I was all about boys and make up."

"Was? You're using past tense," Gloria teased.

Shauna laughed. After a moment she remarked, "He grew up to be hot, though."

Gloria raised her eyebrows. "You did not just say that!"

"What?" Shauna questioned innocently. "I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking!"

Clare and Fiona exchanged a look of surprise at her words.

"Wow, you're serious?" Gloria said shaking her head.

Shauna laughed. "I may not be Spanish, but I know what _guapo_ means!" All morning she had heard the word sprinkled in conversation in reference to Adam.

Gloria laughed. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Whatever. You know I'm right!" Shauna teased.

"Okay, I'm not going there," Gloria refuted. "You know, I wouldn't put it passed you to make a pass at him!"

Again, Shauna shrugged. "If I did Gia would_ kill_ me! She already hates my running commentary about Young Andrew," she laughed.

The two friends exited their stalls at the same time. Shauna headed straight to the mirror to check her make up. Gloria paused when she noticed Clare and Fiona standing near the doorway.

"Oh, we didn't know anyone else was in here!" she told them, slightly embarrassed.

Shauna looked over her shoulder and registered their presence for the first time. She was relieved they weren't overheard by some of Gia's older relatives. _That_ would have been awkward. "The stalls are free. Now they both have paper," she told them as she began to wash her hands. Gloria had freaked out when she realized her stall was empty but they got lucky with the extra roll.

Fiona narrowed her eyes. "He's a _person_, you know."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: I guess we know what Shauna thinks… Will add part 2 later today!

FYI, translation:  
_guapo_ = handsome, good-looking, attractive


	15. Explain This, part 2

"The Wedding" – part 15

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Lots of plot movement in this chapter ;-)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

15-

Shauna blinked a few times, hearing the venom in the other girl's voice. She looked at them for a moment and slowly smiled once she placed them. "You guys are friends of Adam?"

Gloria glanced at her worried. Great. Adam's friends overheard them. She wanted to crawl under a rock.

Fiona continued to glare at them.

"I'm Shauna, Gia's best friend. I've known the kid for years and I didn't mean any disrespect," Shauna said sincerely.

"Then don't regard him like a curiosity," Clare said coolly. Fiona sent her a grateful look.

Shauna grimaced. "I'm not. I'm always kind of blunt about things. I was only addressing the 500 pound gorilla in the room. I mean, I'm not sure when you met him, but I've known him for years as Grace."

Fiona rolled her eyes at her response. "And did you think Grace was hot too?" Maybe it was petty, but the superficial emphasize on his looks after talking about how 'weird' he was had thoroughly annoyed her.

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Shauna suddenly laughed. "Fair enough," she conceded. She was impressed with Adam's girlfriend. She was a beautiful girl and she had spunk! If wasn't often that Shauna was directly challenged. "Believe me, I didn't mean to step on any toes. I can see that Adam is a very lucky guy."

Gloria threw her friend a quizzical look. Shauna wasn't one to easily back down. She looked at the other girls again and then it finally dawned on her why there had been so much tension a moment ago. "You're Adam's girlfriend?" she blurted out.

Fiona looked her and nodded. "Yes." She prepared herself to hear another retort, but it never came.

"I'm sorry! Really, I think he's a great guy," Gloria apologized. "I knew Grace when we were younger and she – um, I mean _he_ was pretty awesome to be around. Caring and protective. I remember one time we all went hiking and I freaked out because a spider crawled on my bag. Shauna and Gia were no help, of course. They were screaming too. Adam rolled his eyes at us and got rid of it with little fan fare." She paused to laugh. "I refused to touch my purse after that so he held on to it for me, until we reached the lake. He washed it off and it was as good as new."

Fiona and Clare softened. That sounded like something Adam would do.

"I didn't mean to come off as insensitive earlier," Gloria continued. "I guess I'm still processing it. I kind of expected Grace to come out someday, not come out as a guy."

"Adam is who he's always been," Fiona asserted. The first part of their conversation still irked her.

Gloria blinked. "Right." She didn't think she would get off the hook that easily. However, she realized she deserved every bit of the awkwardness.

"For what it's worth, making inappropriate comments about Gia's cousins is something I've done for _years_," Shauna joked, attempting to inject some lightness into the conversation.

Despite herself Gloria grinned. "Seriously, she's not kidding!"

-oOo-

Adam and Eli were bored. Five songs had played and their dates were still nowhere to be found. Drew waited with them for a couple of songs, but eventually he and Jess went to dance.

"This sucks," Adam complained.

Eli smirked. "I guess you and I could…"

The look Adam gave him killed his joke before he could finish it.

"Right. Not funny," he noted.

"I'm going to grab some more drinks," Adam announced.

"Seriously? You are one brave warrior," Eli commented. Adam would have to pass through the crowded dance floor or take the long way around it. Neither options seemed worth the hassle.

Adam grinned. "Look around. What do you see?"

Eli furrowed his brows. "People talking, dancing, or eating."

Adam shook his head. "Most of the adults are sloshed. I'm going to try to get some _Cojito_. I think you'd like it."

Eli shrugged. "Alright. I'll keep our seats warm and look out for the girls."

Adam stood up and they bumped fists.

A few minutes later Clare took a seat beside him. Eli turned around startled.

"You have no idea how happy I am to finally sit down!" she exclaimed. She rested her head on the table with a small smile.

Eli looked at her concerned. He leaned towards her and gently rested his left hand on her back. "Are you alright?" he questioned.

Clare laughed. "I'm fine! You can relax," she said amused.

Eli stiffened and quickly moved his hand away. "I was worried," he admitted. "I mean, you were gone for so long."

She sighed. "We went to the girl's bathroom."

He looked at her uncomprehending. "Yeah, but that was ages ago."

"And it always has a long line," she reminded him. "The one we were on was moving at a snail's pace, so we decided to look elsewhere. Eventually we found another one."

Hearing the word 'we' repeated, Eli quickly glanced around remembering that _two_ of them had left. "Right. Where is Fiona?" He didn't see his friend's girlfriend anywhere.

Clare bit her lip. "Yeah… I'm a little worried for her."

Eli raised an eyebrow.

-oOo-

Adam glanced around quickly before grabbing two empty glasses. "Booyah!" he said quietly as he reached for a container of _Coquito_. It was an eggnog-like alcohol drink which was served on holidays and during festive occasions. Usually it wasn't a big deal to have a glass, but he knew they were keeping a closer eye on it because the batch that Aunt Elisa made was quite heavy.

"Are you trying to sneak a drink?" an amused voice addressed him.

Adam turned around startled. "No, I– " he abruptly stopped once he recognized the speaker and shook his head annoyed. "Very funny," he deadpanned.

Gia couldn't stop laughing. "Your face! That was priceless!"

Adam rolled his eyes. Despite himself, he cracked a small grin. "Yeah, well you do a good job of channeling Aunt Elisa when you want to," he fired back. Their Aunt had a reputation for being rather tough and domineering. Perhaps that's why she and his mother clashed so much.

Gia nodded in agreement. "I do what I can," she smirked.

"What are you doing here anyway? You're the bride, don't you have servers to run to the buffet table?" he questioned. He poured a glass for himself and then filled the second cup.

She shrugged. "Gotta stretch my legs from time to time. Besides Eddie is preoccupied," she quipped.

Adam laughed as he followed her line of sight. Eddie was dancing with an older woman. "That's his mom?" Adam guessed.

Gia nodded. Adam handed her the other glass of_ Coquito_. "Thanks," she told him. "But weren't you getting extras for Fiona?"

Adam shook his head. "No, that was for Eli actually. I'm not sure where Fiona is." He turned towards his cousin and raised his glass. "To weddings and a lifetime of happiness."

Gia grinned at him and clinked his glass. "That's wonderful, Adam."

He shrugged and took a sip of his drink. He suddenly made a face. "Wow, that's strong!"

Gia giggled. "Separates the men from the boys," she teased.

"If that's what she was going for then she nailed it!" he joked. After a moment he asked, "So are you guys having a good time?"

Again Gia nodded. "Today has been amazing! Good food, excellent company. It's great to see everyone and I'm surprised no fights have broken out."

Adam chuckled. "Yeah, me too." He expected at least one argument between his aunts and uncles.

Gia looked at him with a serious expression. "Has everything been alright with you?"

Adam took a deep breath. Her question was vague but he knew was she was asking. There was no way he was going to mention Linda's bigoted words and bring a dark cloud over the day. Especially when everyone else had been so accepting. "Yes, everything has been great! It's been great catching up. A moment ago I spoke to Nana."

Gia grinned broadly. "That's so good to hear, Adam! I'm really happy that she made it here."

"Me too!" he agreed.

The song playing was coming to an end.

"So, are you going to track down Eddie for another dance?" Adam asked. They were both done with their drinks.

"All in good time," she responded. "Are you going to dance at all today?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

Adam groaned at the reference to the last family wedding. "Yes, I certainly will."

"Good, because I want to see you and Fiona cutting it up the dance floor," she told him.

He laughed. "You will, when I find her that is." He glanced around, his eyes searching for his girlfriend once again.

"Hmm, it might be awhile," Gia commented.

Adam threw her a questioning look. She cocked her head to the side and he followed her line of sight. Again, Adam groaned.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Yes, I know I'm evil… Where _did_ Fiona go? We'll find out soon enough :D

**Reviews = mad cool, yo!**


	16. Take My Hand

"The Wedding" – part 16

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! There are answers in this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

16-

"Should I be worried about this?"

Gia looked at her cousin and smiled. They had just spotted their grandmother, Abuela Lucia sitting with his girlfriend Fiona in the distance. She would like to say the two were talking but knowing her grandmother it was more likely an interrogation. "No, I don't think so. It's actually a good thing."

Adam raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. Gia laughed.

"When Eddie and I were getting serious he said that Abuela Lucia pulled him aside for a chat. She asked him about his family, where he was going in life, and what his intentions were towards me. He was sweating bullets the whole time but afterwards she treated him like part of the family," Gia revealed.

Adam slowly nodded. He still felt really guilty. "Perhaps I should rescue her," he suggested.

"Don't," Gia told him. "Just let it run its course. Trust me."

-oOo-

"And you let her go?" Eli said incredulously. Clare had just filled in him on why Fiona wasn't sitting with them.

"Well, it was Adam's grandma. It wasn't exactly a request," Clare grumbled.

Eli chuckled. "Sorry. It's just that, I don't think Adam will be pleased to hear this when he gets back."

Clare sighed. "Yeah. So where is everybody?"

Eli leaned back into his chair. "Drew and Jess are dancing. Mr. and Mrs. Torres are off… somewhere. Adam went to get us drinks. He should be back any minute."

"Oh," Clare said softly.

"What? Not a fan of the company?" Eli joked.

She quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that—"

Eli started laughing.

She glared at him. "You're such a nice guy."

He shrugged. "Oh, I was only teasing! I would ask you to dance, but he's coming back."

"Really? You'd do that for me?" she said in jest.

Eli crossed his arms. "See, this is why I don't do _nice_. You walk all over me!" he grinned.

"No, you don't do nice because it's not part of your personality," she retorted.

Eli and Clare looked each other. "Ouch," he said slowly. There was no playfulness in his tone.

Clare looked away. "I'm sorry." She didn't know where that came from.

Eli paused. "When we were dating… I was a good boyfriend, right?" He cautiously met her eyes. They rarely talked about the old days. It was awkward to reminisce and quite frankly it hurt too damn much. Still he needed to know that she saw something worthy in him… once.

Clare blinked. "Of course you were!" She didn't know her words had cut him so deeply.

Their break up last summer was messy and painful. There weren't enough words to fill void that developed between them. She was changing and he couldn't support her in the way she needed. She was stifled and he was barely hanging on. She often wondered if they didn't have Adam in common, would they have stayed in each other's lives at all? However, that was a moot point now. She and Eli _were_ friends again.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know I never really said it before. I was too angry at the time. I just didn't…" he trailed off. He hated drudging up the past. He wasn't sure what he wanted yet, but if he wanted her he knew they'd have to talk about it.

"Do you want to dance?" Clare suddenly asked.

He furrowed his brows. "But Adam–"

"He'll be fine without us," she assured him as she stood up.

Eli looked at her with wonder. "Um, sure." He quickly stood up and walked over to her side of the table. "Shall we?"

Clare stared at the hand he offered. "Let's."

-oOo-

Fiona took another sip of water. It wasn't so much that she was thirsty, it allowed her to pause before responding. She was sitting at a table with Adam's grandmother. Once she and Clare confronted a couple of Gia's rude friends, they finally got to use the bathroom and rejoin the party. She was eager to know how his talk with his great-grandmother went. She hoped that he was okay. They had just passed the dance floor and the table with Eli and Adam had come into view when suddenly Abuela Lucia appeared. She politely asked Fiona if she had a few minutes to talk. They were cornered, so despite her nervousness Fiona readily agreed.

That was fifteen minutes ago. Abuela Lucia had made small talk about the wedding guests, shared stories about Adam as a baby, spoke about the town their family was from in Puerto Rico, and told Fiona about how she was proud of each of her grandchildren. She saved Adam for last so she could bluntly ask where their relationship going.

As she detailed it, Abuela Lucia wasn't against Adam and Fiona dating. She just had _reservations_. Fiona was relieved to know that the elderly woman didn't have any hang ups about Adam dating a girl. But she was a little taken aback to learn that she wasn't sure about Adam dating _her_. Abuela Lucia's main concern was that their family backgrounds were so different.

Eddie was Mexican and Gia was Puerto Rican, but they were both Latino. They were both working class. They both grew up with close knit families that were big on traditions. They seemed to be a good match.

His grandmother felt that she and Adam were living in a bubble while in Toronto and that the very real class differences between them would be a huge stressor on their relationship once Fiona returned to New York.

"My grandson has a big heart and I can see that he loves you very much. I'm just worried that the differences that both of you are quick to gloss over will be a bigger challenge than you realize," Abuela Lucia concluded.

Fiona sighed. She wasn't sure what to say. As much as she wanted to dismiss her, Abuela Lucia did have a few valid points. However, she knew what she felt about Adam and she knew how he felt about her. She was certain they could overcome any bumps in the road. Especially since they had survived so much tragedy and hardship already.

"I understand your concern. I know that on paper we don't make any sense together, but I love Adam. He's the one for me. We're going to sort out any problems that crop up because not being together isn't an option," she told the older woman.

Abuela Lucia studied her for a long moment and then smiled.

-oOo-

"Okay, we're dancing!" Gia said decisively.

Adam threw her a questioning look. "Are you sure?"

Gia looked at him like he had two heads. "Are you listening?" She paused for a few moments so he could hear the notes. "Hello, it's Shakira!"

Adam grinned. "_La Tortura_!"

Gia nodded excitedly. "C'mon, Fiona's not going anywhere for a bit. Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor. Adam had just enough time to put down his empty cup. They made it just as Shakira began to sing.

"I'll be Shakira and you'll be Alejandro Sanz," Gia ordered. As kids they sang along to songs all the time. Shakira had been one of their favorite artists.

Adam smiled broadly as Gia began to sing along to the verse. Earlier in the day he had been nervous about bringing attention to himself. There was no way around it, dancing with the bride was guaranteed to draw a lot of attention but right now he didn't care. It was just him and Gia, like the good old days.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Shout out to Raidon for guessing correctly, haha! Hmm, interesting development for eClare…

**Reviews = totally awesome :D**

FYI, next update will be tomorrow.


	17. You Found Me

"The Wedding" – part 17

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Woo hoo! Thanks the awesome reviews guys! There's more dancing in this one :D

Music Note: This chapter features lyrics from "La Tortura" by Shakira (featuring Alejandro Sanz). I'm not going to translate the lyrics since the song was released in Spanish in the US.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

17-

Drew grinned broadly as he danced with Jess. He always liked this song and he was having an excellent time. When he asked her to the wedding, he hadn't known she would be such a good dancer. He loved to dance, so the two of them were thoroughly enjoying each song.

_Ay amor me duele tanto  
Me duele tanto_

Drew was stunned as Jess sang along to Shakira's part. "You know the lyrics?" He thought that she didn't speak Spanish. Was she holding out on him this whole time?

Jess softly laughed. "Yes, my sister and I played this song so much when it first came out. We didn't understand a word of it, but after awhile we got the lyrics right."

Drew chuckled. He thought it was cute. "Well, I can translate for you, if you'd like," he offered.

Jess smiled at him before looking away. Being here with Drew was so much fun, but looking into his eyes too long was kind of like staring into the sun. It made her realize how much she liked him and she was afraid of falling too hard. A few couples away she spotted a sight that made her smile. "Adam's dancing with Gia!" she told him.

"Really?" he said surprised. He turned around and spotted his brother and their cousin on the dance floor. They were laughing as they mouthed lyrics and danced along to the song. He instantly smiled.

"Adam's a pretty good dancer," Jess commented.

Drew laughed. "Yeah, he is." His mind briefly drifted back to the previous wedding they attended. He felt pretty bad for his brother because it was right after he came out to them as transgendered. Their mother made Adam attend as 'Gracie' and he was miserable the whole time. Drew shook his head of sad thoughts and directed his focus to the present. Adam looked happy. He looked at peace.

-oOo-

Adam smiled at Gia as the song headed into the chorus. He began to sing.

_Yo se que no he sido un santo  
Pero lo puedo arreglar amor_

Gia laughed. With his deeper voice he matched Sanz's voice pretty well. She went on to sing her part.

_No solo de pan vive el hombre  
Y no de excusas vivo yo_

-oOo-

Linda turned to her husband Ken. "Is this appropriate?" she hissed.

He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "What can you do?"

"Our daughter is here! I'd expect you to have an opinion," she scolded him. She looked at Sam and was thankful the girl seemed unaware as she played with her young cousins nearby.

"Your family seems okay with it," he told her.

"That doesn't make it right! They're just walking on eggshells because Gracie is mentally unstable," Linda retorted.

"I'm hoping I didn't hear you right."

She looked up to see her Aunt Sarah standing by their table with a stern expression. The older woman was the mother of the bride.

Linda looked away. "I just think this is all a little weird."

Aunt Sarah sighed and took a seat next to her. "We talked about this yesterday. _Adam_ is a part of this family and we're standing behind him. You can believe whatever you want, but while you're here keep your opinions to yourself," she said firmly.

-oOo-

Fiona laughed. "Yeah, he is a good dancer," she agreed.

She and Abuela Lucia were watching Adam and Gia dance from where they sat. After tackling the heavy topics, their conversation had gotten much lighter. She really liked Adam's grandmother. She was warm, tough, loving, wise, and understanding.

"So Adam has met your grandmother?" Abuela Lucia asked, continuing their previous discussion.

Fiona nodded. "Yes, last summer when he stayed with my family in New York. We went to the Hamptons for a few long weekends. She has an estate there that she stays at in August."

"Ah," Abuela Lucia commented. She hadn't been aware at that time that Adam was in New York. Like most of the family, she learned he was living as boy after he was attacked in December. She was disheartened to learn he had worked for Pepe all summer because she would have loved to see him. It was sad how 'keeping up appearances' had torn them apart for so long. With everything out in the open they could all move on. "What does she think about Adam?" the elderly woman asked.

Fiona smiled. "She really likes him. She knows and she approves. She's looking forward to seeing him at the end of the month for Easter. I'm flying down to spent the holiday with my family and Adam is coming with me."

"It sounds like your family is pretty accepting of him," Abuela Lucia noted.

Again Fiona nodded. "To be honest, there was a bit of drama at first but that was when we first starting dating. Now that they all know him, they're great and really supportive. They know that we love each other and they want me to be happy. The guys I dated in the past… to say they weren't so good would be an understatement," she leveled with her. "Adam treats me right and they adore him."

Abuela Lucia smiled. "_Que bueno!_"

"_Yo tambien!_" Fiona responded.

They both laughed.

-oOo-

Adam continued to sing.

_Sólo de errores se aprende  
Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón_

Gia smiled as she began the final part.

_Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay  
Ay, todo lo que he hecho por tí_

_Fue una tortura perderte  
Y me duele tanto que sea así  
Sigue llorando perdón  
Yo, yo, no voy a llorar hoy por tí_

The two cousins laughed as the song ended.

"You were pretty good!" Adam told her. He was impressed with how well she sang.

"I'm like a fine wine. I get better with age!" she joked. She wasn't the best singer, but she did fairly well with songs she sang often. "You on the other hand, how come you haven't tried out for American Idol yet?"

"Maybe because I'm Canadian?" he teased.

She playfully rolled her eyes. "You have dual citizenship! No excuses!"

He laughed. "Okay, how about because my voice only recently stopped cracking?"

She shrugged. "Eh, puberty's a bitch," she said in jest.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, especially when you go through it twice!" he pointed out.

They both laughed. She loved that he had a sense of humor about himself. He always did and she was glad that hadn't changed.

The music changed to a slow song. It was 'You've Got A Way' by Shania Twain. The two cousins looked at each other.

"This is a song for Eddie," he quipped. They looked around for her husband.

"Eddie!" they playfully called out. He was nearby and already making his way towards them.

"You rang?" he said amused when he got there.

"Your wife would like a dance," Adam said in a posh accent. The three of them laughed.

"Well now, wouldn't want to disappoint the missus!" Eddie teased.

Adam gave Gia a quick hug. "Have fun you guys!" he told them.

"Thanks!" the couple responded as they began to dance.

Adam had a huge smile on his face as he walked away. He glanced around the dance floor, determined to locate his girlfriend. He spotted Eli and Clare dancing, and softly laughed. They looked like they only had eyes for each other. Last September his attempts at playing matchmaker for them failed miserably. They both got mad at him for trying to get them back together. This time around he actually felt hopeful.

"Adam," a voice called from behind.

He turned around startled.

"Can I interest you in a dance?" asked a young woman with straight medium length dark hair. She wore a silver colored strapless cocktail dress.

"Shauna?"

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Next part will be up tomorrow… I swear I don't write cliffies on purpose, honest!

Anyway, happy thoughts! Er, how cute were Drew and Jess :D

.

Translations:

_Que Bueno!_ = That's good!  
_Yo tambien!_ = I agree!


	18. Dance, Dance

"The Wedding" – part 18

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for sticking it out! This part doesn't have a cliffhanger :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

18-

Adam frowned. "You want to dance to this?"

She softly laughed as she walked towards him. "We don't get to pick the music," she quipped. "Unless you have a special arrangement with the DJ…"

He laughed. "Can't say that I do."

She smiled. "Come on, we're just standing here on the dance floor. That's criminal."

Adam shrugged. The idea of dancing with Shauna seemed strange to him, but she seemed nice enough. "Sure."

They walked over to a good spot several paces over and began to slow dance.

-oOo-

"Okay, this is weird," Clare noted.

Eli looked at her. "What? Is the song too romantic?" he grinned.

She looked at him and shook her head. "That's not it. My mind is having trouble processing that you, Elijah Goldsworthy, are dancing to a song by a country artist!"

Eli laughed. "I know. Please don't tell anyone!" he teased.

They settled into a short companionable silence.

"This is nice… being here with you," Eli said quietly.

Clare looked into his eyes. Did he really just say that? Inside her stomach was doing flips. She quickly averted her gaze. When she did she instantly frowned. "What?" she said annoyed.

Eli blinked. "Nothing, just forget it," he said quickly.

She turned to him. "No, I didn't mean _that_," she sighed. "Look who Adam is dancing with!"

Eli furrowed his brows and followed her line of sight. He raised an eyebrow impressed. The girl in his friend's arms was seriously hot. "That's not Gia," he quipped recognizing the change in dance partners.

Clare snorted. "Definitely not." Gia was an incredible person. Her best friend, however, left much to be desired.

Eli shrugged. "What's the problem?" he asked perplexed.

Clare stared at him like he had two heads. "He shouldn't be dancing with _her_."

The way she said 'her' had taken him aback. He was pretty sure Fiona wouldn't get upset about one dance. "Okay… pause. Rewind."

Despite herself, Clare smiled at his familiar saying. "Fiona and I ran into her in the bathroom."

Eli smirked.

She gave him a look. "She and her friend were talking about Adam. They were pretty rude. We gave them a piece of our mind."

"So what's she doing dancing with him if she was talking smack about him?" he asked confused. It didn't make any sense to him.

"She thinks he's hot."

-oOo-

Shauna smiled as they swayed to the music. "Sorry I was such a bitch to you when we were younger."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Thanks?" he questioned.

She softly laughed. "I was always hounding you for makeovers, which I knew you didn't want," she shrugged as she trailed off. It was funny how things worked out. She had suspected that Gracie was gay. It never crossed her mind that the tomboy she knew would grow up to be an attractive guy.

Adam glanced around the dance floor. A few couples over he saw Eli and Clare, locked in conversation. Not far away were Drew and Jess. They looked like they were having a good time, which made him happy. He didn't spot Fiona though.

"So, how did you and your girlfriend meet?" Shauna asked.

He turned to her. "Come again?" he questioned.

She gave him a knowing look. "Her name's Fiona, right?"

Adam slowly smiled. "Yeah." Word traveled fast, but he expected no less from his family.

"How did you guys meet?" she repeated.

"We went to the same high school," he told her.

Shauna smirked. "Went?" she noted his usage of past tense.

"She's a couple of years older than me," he explained.

"Ah," she nodded with understanding. "How did you win her over?"

One thing she remembered about him over the years, when he was still Gracie, was that he never talked about anyone he liked. She was curious to know how he ended up with such a gorgeous girl.

Adam grinned. He was always asked some variation of this question, without fail. "You mean how in the hell did she end up with a guy like me?"

She shook her head defensively, "I didn't mean—"

His grin widened further. "I know, just teasing."

She frowned at him. "Wow, you're a jerk."

He turned his head to the side dramatically as he chuckled. "Ouch, that hurts!"

She narrowed her eyes. "Very funny."

"Anyway, to answer your question, we started out as friends. At different times, we realized we felt something more. I pushed her away, thinking I didn't have a chance. She called me on my weird behavior and I'm glad she did," Adam summed up.

"Hmm, just like that?" she questioned.

Adam looked at her. "Pretty much. It hasn't been all smooth sailing. We're so different, but we have a strong connection. At the end of the day we're both looking for same thing in life. She's the one."

Shauna smiled at him. She felt the conviction in his voice. "That's amazing, Adam. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," he told her.

-oOo-

Elisa scrunched up her face as she looked out unto the dance floor. "Are they _flirting_?" she blurted out with a strong hint of disapproval.

Audra, Omar, Pepe, and his wife Lily quickly followed her line of sight. They saw Adam dancing to a slow song with Shauna, Gia's best friend.

Greg couldn't contain his laughter. He was familiar with Shauna's antics over the years. "I doubt it! That girl flirts with anyone with a pulse, but he keeps looking away."

They studied the two closer. They seemed to be talking and sharing a laugh or two, but Adam was scanning his surroundings regularly. He seemed to be looking for someone.

"Okay, this is silly. Let's leave well enough alone," Pepe reasoned. He didn't feel right scrutinizing the interaction between the teens. His nephew was dancing with a girl. That wasn't a crime.

Audra knocked back another glass of champagne. The conversation between all of them had been pretty light, until now. The tone of her sister's observation bothered her. She debated biting her tongue, but her annoyance with Elisa won out.

"And if he _was_ flirting with her?" she questioned pointedly.

Omar sent her a look of concern. "Audra," he said delicately.

"No, really! What's it to you?" Audra pressed. It was clear that she had been offended.

Elisa rolled her eyes. "I was just making conversation," she said dryly.

Audra let out a wry laugh. Lily sent Pepe a worried look.

He nodded at his wife, seeing that tensions were rising between his sisters. "Okay guys, let's take a step back. Who wants some more _Cojito_?" Pepe picked up a container of the festive homemade drink.

"I'll take some," Omar responded, happy that his brother in law changed the subject.

Sarah, the mother of the bride, raised her empty glass. "Thank you Pepe." Audra and Elisa had strong personalities. When those two clashed it wasn't good. Her boyfriend Greg also lifted his glass.

Pepe grinned at them. "Let's just have a good time."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Wow, they're really loving the _Cojito_, right? If you ever had any then you can't blame them :-p

Gee, Linda really didn't fall far from the tree! However, at least her mother Elisa knows how to hold her tongue… As for Shauna, she actually has a heart :-)

**Reviews = Cool to the school**

BTW, I have good news and bad news. The good news is: there's Fadam in the next chapter!  
The bad news is: it probably won't be posted until Friday. Need more time to edit :-x (this week has been so busy!)


	19. You Again

"The Wedding" – part 19

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the awesome reviews! TGIF!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

19-

Adam and Shauna fell into a comfortable silence. As weird as it was dancing with her at first, he was happy that they were getting along. She hadn't been his favorite person growing up. At times she felt like the gender police because she was always questioning why he didn't act like or have the same interests as other girls. Gia was always a calming presence. His cousin always had his back. Now that they were older he could appreciate what Gia saw in Shauna as a friend. She wasn't so bad. When she apologized earlier he felt that she meant it.

Shauna grinned as the song came to a close. Catching up with Adam had been fun and she was glad that she finally got a chance to make amends. She regarded him briefly. Adam was handsome and she was certain that Fiona wasn't the only girl back in Toronto who was interested in him. Things worked out for the best though. After all he had been through, Shauna figured if anyone deserved happiness it was him.

"Thanks for the dance, Adam."

Adam smiled. "Anytime."

Shauna had a flirty comeback ready – she couldn't help herself, it was part of her personality – but she held it in. "I don't know about that. I'm sure you're eager to dance with the one you came with," she teased as she looked past his shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She cocked her head to side and he turned around.

"Fiona!"

-oOo-

Fiona had a bright smile on her face as she departed the table. Her talk with Adam's grandmother had gone better than she could have imagined. She enjoyed talking with Abuela Lucia and she felt they had an understanding now. Before she left they toasted a drink "_a la familia_". Deep down Fiona knew that was the first of many in the years to come.

"Clare! Eli!" she called out. The two looked very cozy dancing to Shania Twain of all people! She couldn't help but chuckle at the irony.

"There you are!" Clare said happily.

"Wow, you're alive!" Eli teased.

Fiona grinned as she shook her head. "Of course. Adam's grandmother is pretty awesome."

Eli raised an eyebrow at her declaration. "I stand corrected," he smirked.

"Anyway, not to interrupt your dancing, but do you guys know where Adam is?" Fiona asked.

Clare and Eli shared a look.

"Um, he's over there… dancing with Shauna," Clare told her hesitantly.

Eli watched her reaction, expecting fireworks but they never came. Fiona followed Clare's line of sight without comment. He idly wondered if Clare had fed him bad information.

Fiona smiled when she spotted Adam. While she wasn't fond of his dancing partner, she thought he looked at home on the dance floor. "Thanks! See you guys later."

She made her way towards him, intent of sneaking up on him from behind. She was a few feet away when Shauna looked up. They locked eyes and Fiona quickly signaled her to keep quiet. The other girl smirked and fortunately played along.

"What do you mean?" she heard Adam say. He turned around and instantly broke out into a huge smile. "Fiona!"

Words couldn't express how good it felt to see her standing in front of him. He had missed her like crazy. In times like these he wondered how they were going to handle being apart for a year when she went started university in the fall. He quickly pushed the thought away and allowed himself the pleasure of fully being in this moment.

"Hey Adam," she smiled at him, with just as much intensity.

His first instinct was to pull her close and bring his lips to hers, but being in the middle of the dance floor at a family wedding that would be awkward. Instead he simply took a step towards her.

"I missed you." He didn't care if it sounded sappy. It was his truth.

Fiona softly laughed. "Me too," she readily admitted. She stepped closer to him and brushed her hand against his. Though it didn't seem possible he smiled even wider!

"You guys are cute," Shauna commented, interrupting the moment.

They both blushed and turned in the direction of the speaker. Adam had forgotten that Shauna was there. He chuckled and turned back towards his girlfriend. "Fiona, this is Shauna. She's Gi—"

"We already met," they said dryly, at the same time.

"Oh," Adam said confused as to when that happened.

They both laughed at his expression. A new song began to play over the sound system. Fiona immediately recognized it and looked at Adam. She was happy it was a slow song and she could tell he was too.

Shauna sent them a knowing look. "Well, I'm off to find a new dancing partner. You two have fun!" she said sincerely before walking away.

"Thanks," Adam told her. He looked at Fiona and offered his hand. "Shall we?"

She nodded and placed her hand in his. He guided them a few paces over to an open area and eagerly pulled her close. He rested his hands on her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I could get used to this," he quipped. She belonged in his arms.

"I've never been happier to dance," Fiona said as she looked into his eyes. He grinned at her. His eyes echoed the same emotion she was feeling and she sighed contently. She followed his lead as they swayed to the music.

"I love this song," she remarked. 'The Only Exception' by Paramore was playing.

Adam shrugged playfully. "It's alright," he teased.

_But, darling, you are the only exception  
But you are the only exception_

"The lyrics are a little sad," she noted. "But it's about trusting in love when you find 'the one'."

Adam smiled at her. "Yeah, sometimes you just have to go with it. Follow what's in your heart." He paused for a long moment, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm glad that you did." She was everything to him. He couldn't imagine his life without her, and never wanted to.

"I'm glad that _you_ did," she responded. They both had taken a risk when they decided to be together. There were no guarantees in life, but from the moment they shared their first kiss she knew they made the right decision.

The couple continued to stare into each others' eyes. In this moment nothing else mattered.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: I'm so glad it's Friday! I'm dead tired. Work was so busy this week. Anyhoo, I have more ideas for this fic and am hoping to get more chapters down this weekend. (Don't worry, Fadam won't be separated for chapters on end again! Lol).

Oddly enough – because sometimes my brain can't handle chronological order – the other day I ended up writing a bunch of pages for different Fadam story. This one takes place when their newlyweds (!).

-Cheers!


	20. Teenage Dream

"The Wedding" – part 20

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: I just wrote this today so there may be more typos that usual. Thanks for the reviews guys!

Music Note: The songs (which I certainly do not own!) are "Teenage Dream" by Katie Perry and "Shout" by Save Ferris.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

20-

Drew could help but chuckle when he spotted Adam and Fiona dancing together. '_We've definitely lost him to the love haze!_' he thought. The couple softly swayed to the music whilst staring into each other's eyes. Just one glance and one could tell that they danced like a couple in love. While this was no surprise to him, being the protective brother he was Drew glanced around looking for any negative reactions.

To his relief, most people seemed to be doing their own thing. If Adam and Fiona got any looks at all, the person was usually smiling.

"Aww, they look cute," Jess commented, just having noticed them.

Drew laughed. "That seems to be the party line," he quipped.

She looked at him. "That's a good thing right?"

Drew paused. "Of course. I just don't want any drama down the road."

"Why would there be?" she asked confused.

He shrugged. He had witnessed a lot of stupidity towards Adam in the past so he always was a little on guard. He wouldn't hesitant to defend his bother. This morning when they passed through Customs, it had taken a lot of restraint not to tell off the bigoted agent who gave Adam a hard time. He wanted to rip that guy's face off for being such an ass.

Drew steadied his hands. The wedding had gone better than he could have hoped for. Maybe it was time to fully relax. Still, he was weary because drinks were flowing. When people were liquored up sometimes their true nature came forth.

-oOo-

When the next song came on Adam and Fiona groaned in disappointment. While Fiona liked "Shout" by Save Ferris, it was an upbeat ska song. She reluctantly moved away from Adam's embrace.

He sent her a knowing look. "Why can't they all be slow songs?" He held onto her hands for a moment longer before letting go.

Fiona suddenly brightened. "You know, we've sung this song many times when playing Karaoke Superstar," she reminded him.

Adam nodded. "True." It would be fun to sing along. "Go easy on the high notes though," he teased.

She playfully narrowed her eyes. "Hey!" The lead singer, Monique Powell could really belt it out.

He grinned as he grabbed her hand and spun her around. Fiona giggled. The mood on the dance floor was infectious and everyone was having a good time.

-oOo-

"They're over there," Eli said to Clare. He motioned her to follow him. "Let's go."

He and Clare decided to head over to their friends, who were located closer to the center of the floor. Drew and Jess were nearby as well.

"Alright," Clare nodded. Today had been pretty fun. At the beginning they were nervous, not knowing what to expect. But Adam's family was amazing. They were accepting and welcomed all of them with open arms. The food was delicious, the conversations were lively, and the music was great. She smiled as she recognized the first notes of the next song. All of the young people on the floor smiled and she heard a few cheers.

"I love this song!"

Adam chuckled upon hearing the familiar sentiment.

Fiona looked at him. "This time it's really true. I played this song all summer!"

"That you did," he acknowledged. "I like this one too." He preferred alternative rock and metal bands, but this was the one Katy Perry song that had made its way into his iPod. It was associated with so many good memories of last summer.

As the verse started Fiona immediately began to sing along.

_You think I'm pretty without any makeup on  
You think I'm funny when I tell the punchline wrong  
I know you get me  
So I let my walls come down, down_

Adam smiled broadly. The lyrics fit them well. He loved everything about Fiona and their connection was something he couldn't explain. They were so different on the surface, but they really understood each other.

He remembered when first told Eli that they were hanging out, the older boy had thrown him a quizzical look. He didn't get what Adam could possibly have in common with the "ice queen". Adam asserted that there was nothing icy about her and they had fun together. He and Fiona had been lonely for a long time, even when they were in a sea of people. Something clicked when they met.

_Before you met me, I was a wreck  
But things were kinda heavy  
You brought me to life  
Now every February, you'll be my valentine, valentine_

Adam interrupted her. "Can you not sing the next line?" he whispered. He was certain quite a few eyes were on them and he didn't want to reference going 'all the way' with his relatives around.

Eli howled with laughter. Adam turned and glared at him. He hadn't been aware his friends were close by. Fiona and Clare shared a brief look before laughing as well.

Adam shook his head. He was a little annoyed but mostly amused. Fiona turned to him with a grin.

"Come here." She stepped toward him and placed her arms around his neck. It wasn't a slow song but she didn't care. He smiled and brought his hands to her waist.

_My heart stops when you look at me  
Just one touch  
Now, baby, I believe  
This is real, so take a chance  
And don't ever look back, don't ever look back_

"I don't get it," Elisa admitted as she watched the young couple. She was sitting at the table with her sister, Audra, and their brother Pepe. It was just the three of them at the moment. It reminded her of old times, but without their late brother Miguel it could never truly be.

Audra turned to her. They all had consumed their share of alcoholic drinks. Pepe was likely the most sober. She felt bad for her husband, Omar, because as the designated driver he hadn't had anything all day. "_Qué estás hablando_?"

"_Mi sobrino y su novia_," she said bluntly. "Are they happy?"

Audra followed her line of sight and spotted her son dancing with his girlfriend. Pepe expected her to blow up in anger but instead she responded calmly, "Don't they look happy to you?"

Elisa studied them. Adam and Fiona were dancing close and smiling. She appeared to be mouthing the lyrics.

_Let's go all the way tonight  
No regrets, just love_

Elisa furrowed her brows. "How does that work?"

Pepe caught her meaning and immediately rolled his eyes. Apparently her filter was gone. To his surprise Audra shrugged.

"They're creative. I've walked in them before," she revealed nonchalantly.

"Audra!" Pepe looked at her like she had two heads. That was more information than they ever needed to know about their nephew! More importantly, it was a sign his that both of his sisters needed to be cut off from any more drinks. "It's time for a topic change!" he said pointedly.

Elisa giggled. "Oh come on, we're all adults here!" He always was easily offended.

"Yes, but this isn't polite conversation!" Pepe countered. If Adam knew about this he would be mortified.

"Elisa, he's right. I'm drunk and that wasn't something I should have shared," she acknowledged. Omar would have been angry with her for that comment. "My point is they're doing just fine. You can stop trying to figure them out because they're just like any other couple. They're actually more committed than most."

Elisa nodded. She knew Adam and Fiona were quite serious. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a jerk about it. With this change… it's a lot to process."

Audra looked at her. "I used to think that, but really it's not. It's actually very simple," she stated. "'Grace' was who we thought he was, but she doesn't exist. She never did. Adam is who he's always been. That person who we love, held in our arms as a baby, and seen grow over the years. That's Adam."

Pepe smiled at her. He knew Audra struggled for years to come to terms with her younger child's gender identity. Last summer in New York he had seen firsthand how that conflict was damaging to mother and son. She bitterly opposed Adam starting hormone replacement therapy and he found himself caught in the middle. Now he knew that Audra truly understood her son and had made peace.

"You're right," Elisa said quietly. She felt like a terrible Aunt for all the things she said in the past few months. At the time she shared her sentiments with her daughter, Linda. They didn't understand. They might never understand. But who were they to judge?

"Alright, I'm back with an unopened bottle of champagne," Omar announced. It took him awhile to find a good one that was already on ice. He felt like a gopher today but if he couldn't fully join in the festivities he had no qualms about keeping busy.

Pepe looked at him. "Believe me, not a good idea right now."

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream  
The way you turn me on, I can't sleep  
Let's run away and don't ever look back  
Don't ever look back_

At this point almost everyone on the dance floor who knew the words were singing along at the top of their lungs. Including Adam. It was like being in the middle of a karaoke bar! Most people were dancing – or jumping – around together instead of in pairs. Adam, Fiona, Clare, Drew and Jess were all smiles. Eli wore his signature smirk.

_I'mma get your heart racing  
In my skintight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight_

Adam and Eli shared a look, having spotted a guy that was built like a linebacker bopping his head along as he sang. They burst into laughter.

_I'mma get your heart racing  
In my skintight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight_

Eli found himself disappointed when the song ended. "Dude, that was epic!"

"We converted him into a Katy Perry fan," Clare teased.

Eli frowned as they all laughed.

Fiona looked at Adam. "Never underestimate the power of an infectious beat," she grinned.

Adam grabbed her hand. "I'll give you that," he told her. His eyes shone with happiness. Today was such an awesome day.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Oh dear… Definitely an FML moment in there. But at least they're blissfully unaware?

Up next, finally some Fadam kisses.

**Reviews = Booyah! :D  
**


	21. Take Me Away

"The Wedding" – part 21

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Btw, Gia's name is pronounced "JEE-ah". It rhymes with the name Leah.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

21-

"Hey guys, Jess and I are going to hit up the buffet table. Any takers?" Drew asked.

Eli looked at Clare. He could use some more food but it was up to her. "What do you think blue eyes?"

She smiled at the usage of her old nickname. "That ham dish was pretty good," she admitted.

"_Pernil_," Adam corrected her. "Also the _tostones_ are really good. Drew, you'll be their guide?"

Drew grinned. "You're not coming?"

Adam looked at Fiona. Just then another slow song started playing. "No, we're going to dance a bit more. We had seconds not too long ago," he reminded his brother.

"Right," Drew said in a playful tone. "Okay guys, let's go."

Once they left, Fiona found herself back in Adam's arms. She smiled at him. "You weren't hungry?"

"Nope," he said decisively. He kept his eyes trained on hers.

"Not even a little bit?" she questioned.

He paused. When he brought back seconds he didn't get a chance to eat them because he left to talk with his great-grandmother Nana. When he got back to the table there wasn't much left, thanks to Drew, Clare, and Fiona. The memory made him chuckle.

"You guys devoured that food!" he laughed. "But right now I just want to spend time with you."

-oOo-

This was torture.

At first he loved the slow songs. He enjoyed having her in his arms. She was warm, her skin was soft, and the scent of her perfume was lovely. Plus the feel of her body close to his was exquisite. Given their surroundings they kept some distance between them, but he held her closer than he would have danced with anyone else.

However, as time went on it was turning into agony. With his hands on his waist, he actively fought the urge to roam. Feeling her breathe on his cheek made him smile, but it also made him want to turn his head and press his lips to hers. They had been here for hours and weren't leaving anytime soon. This was an all day event. That meant it had been several hours since he last kissed her. Really kissed her. To Adam chaste kisses around family and friends didn't count. They were just pecks.

"You okay?" Fiona asked him. She noticed he seemed to zone out.

He looked at her and smiled. "Of course. I'm fine."

She was unconvinced. "You earned a Razzie, not an Oscar for that performance."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean not a Genie award?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Nope. We're on the U.S. side of the border now!"

Adam looked at her and grinned, "Fair enough."

Fiona weaved back into detective mode. "Are you having a good time?"

"Absolutely. I'm really happy to be here with you," he told her. He quickly spun them around, causing her to laugh.

"Very suave," she noted of his deflection.

"I do my best," he deadpanned. The song came to a close. He was going to ask if she wanted to get some food but she spoke first.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Fiona asked him.

"A walk?" he questioned. She gave him a look and he slowly grinned. "Yeah, how does now sound?"

Fiona giggled. It would be nice to be alone for a bit. "Now sounds perfect." Adam grabbed her hand and led the way.

Once they finally made it through the crowded dance floor Adam let go of her hand to Fiona's disappointment. They were back on the grass and passed by more tables with guests. More of Eddie's relatives were seated on this side. It was still daylight but the sun was beginning to set. There were hints of orange on the edge of the lake. The crisp cool air was refreshing after the heat of the closely confined dance floor.

After a moment he turned to her. "Where to milady?"

Fiona couldn't help but smile. He looked at her with open affection, which melted her heart. He had been rather hot and cold today, but now he seemed relaxed. She reached for his hand. He tensed for a moment before threading his fingers through hers. His eyes found hers again, and seemed to be searching for something.

"Do you want to go inside?" she asked. As she waited for a response her eyes drifted to his lips and back again.

Adam readily nodded. "More than anything."

She softly laughed at his words. "Trust me, you're not alone in that sentiment."

He looked at her in wonder and she squeezed his hand. They slightly quickened their pace as they walked to the entrance of the main building.

-oOo-

As soon as they rounded the corner Adam crashed his lips onto hers. His hand rested on her cheek as they continued to kiss. He savored the feeling of her soft lips moving against his. It was all he wanted to do for hours and he was overjoyed that they finally had the chance.

Fiona abruptly pulled away. He looked at her confused.

"We really shouldn't do this here," she warned. She glanced in both directions and was relieved that there was no one else in view.

Adam still had his hand on her cheek. "I know," he agreed. He suddenly leaned forward again and kissed her deeply. His body was pressed against hers and he softly moaned when he felt her tongue caress his. Several long moments later they pulled apart and Fiona rested her forehead against his.

"We should find somewhere more private. This is risky," she noted again.

"You're right," Adam acknowledged. They were just around the corner from the main corridor of the building. Anyone looking for the bathroom could stumble upon them. The thought of one of his elders catching them was enough to bring him back to reality. He grabbed her hand. "Okay, let's find somewhere more secluded."

They walked down the hallway, checking the doors of small rooms as they passed, hoping to find one that was unlocked. When they came to a stairwell they decided to go to the second floor. Up there they might be less likely to run into his relatives.

As they walked up the steps, Adam turned Fiona and grinned. They were midway between levels when he pulled her towards him and captured her lips in another scorching kiss. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. She reached up and placed hers around his neck, pulling him closer. They shared a series of passionate kisses before coming up for air.

"Wow," Fiona said as she caught her breath. Adam nodded with a silly grin on his face.

When they reached the second floor they resumed checking doors.

"Hmm, if we run into anyone we know this is a going to be hard to explain," Adam chuckled. Her lipstick was smudged and his hair was a lot messier than it was minutes ago.

Fiona smirked. "I guess we'll have to avoid that then?"

He chuckled again and squeezed her hand. "I love you," he told her.

Suddenly a nearby door opened. Out walked the bride and groom. They looked well put together, but seemed in a hurry. The two couples regarded each other for a moment. Eddie shared a brief look with his wife before breaking the silence.

"Take these," he said to Adam as he handed him a set of keys.

"Eight minutes. Any longer than that and people might notice that you're not around," Gia told them amused.

Eddie smirked. "Yeah, see you guys back on the dance floor."

Adam and Fiona watched the couple go.

"Um, did that just happen?" Adam asked once they were alone again.

Fiona laughed. Apparently their predicament wasn't unique. Other couples slipped away for a few minutes alone too. She glanced at the door in front of them before responding. "Well, we now have some privacy and the clock is ticking down."

This turn of events left Adam with an odd feeling. It was similar to being promoted from the kid's table and sitting with the adults for the first time. He shrugged. At least he hadn't run into his parents or anything. He grabbed his girlfriend's hand. "Let's go."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Yay for Fadam kisses! Didn't think they could make it throughout the day without sharing a few :D

Wow, this it's officially premiere week! Can't believe three months have gone by already – but I'm definitely not complaining!

**Reviews = Fantástico!**


	22. Only Superstition

"The Wedding" – part 22

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the awesome reviews, alerts, and favorites.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

22-

Of course they overshot the time. Adam was kicking himself as he adjusted his collar. He hoped their re-entrance wouldn't be too noticeable.

"The time isn't so bad," Fiona reassured him as she looked into the full length mirror and reapplied her lipstick.

Adam scoffed. "15 minutes is nearly double of what Gia suggested."

"And whose fault is that?" she said amused.

Adam sighed. She was right. He kept on pulling her back in for more kisses. He had done the same thing _before_ they found the room.

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. "You know, I'm just teasing, right?"

Adam smiled and placed his hands over hers. "I know. I'm just… I don't know."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Your family loves you, Adam. I don't think knowing that you like to make out with your girlfriend from time to time is going to send them running for the hills." Adam chuckled. She added, "I'm pretty sure they're already aware of that."

She loosened her arms as he turned around to face her. "You're amazing," he said, looking into her eyes.

Fiona smiled broadly. She then pressed her lips to his. "So are you."

-oOo-

They walked down the hall holding hands. "I guess I'll have to find Eddie later to give back the keys," he answered her question. They came to the stairs and quickly made their way back to the first level.

"Do you have to use the bathroom?" Fiona asked him.

"Yeah, might as well since we're here," he told her. "I can meet you in front of the ladies room." The women's bathroom always had a wait.

She shook her head. "I don't have to go. I'll meet you near the main entrance."

"Oh," Adam said. "Actually, maybe you should go ahead? That would probably be less conspicuous. I'll find you back at the reception."

"Wow, you're trying to get rid of me?"

Adam couldn't tell if she was serious or not. Then he saw her grin.

"Fine, I'm heading for the buffet. Meet me there," she told him. '_Might as well get a head start on the lines,_' she thought.

"Great. Thanks," he smiled. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before she left. He then turned and walked into the men's room.

-oOo-

He glanced around and found the small bathroom deserted. There were three urinals and two stalls. He made a beeline for the stalls.

"Hey Adam!" he heard from behind him.

He turned around and saw his cousin Mateo. "Hey man."

"I was wondering where you went. Didn't see you dancing," his younger cousin told him.

Adam shrugged. "It's a long walk to this building," he fibbed. He continued walking to the stalls and entered the one closest to the wall.

"That's what I told Gia! She dragged me along with her when she was looking for a venue for the reception. She liked that it was on the lake so it beat out the places she considered in Buffalo," Mateo told him. The younger boy headed to the other stall so he could keep talking. "Yikes! It's gross in here!" he commented.

Adam chuckled. "It usually is, but it's better than the alternative."

Mateo laughed. "Yeah, I'd bet." He never used the stalls in public bathrooms. While the additional privacy was nice, he was usually in and out so it didn't matter to him. However, he understood his cousin had different reasons.

"I think she made a great choice. All in all, this place is pretty nice," Adam said picking up where they left off. He reached for toilet paper and frowned seeing that the roll was low, but there seemed to be just enough left.

"Yeah," Mateo agreed. He paused. "So you can't use the urinal?" he asked in a quiet tone. It was probably something he wouldn't ask if they were face to face.

Adam shook his head. He guessed they were carrying on two conversations at once. "Not without a device or surgery," he answered matter-of-factly. He flushed the toilet and unlocked the door.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Mateo responded. He chided himself for the silly question.

Adam chuckled. "What? Are memories of Biology class trickling in?" he teased as he pressed the container for soap. He heard the other toilet flush.

"Yeah, forget I asked," Mateo said as he walked over to the sink. His cousin was the bravest person he knew. He was trying to picture what he would do if he was in Adam's shoes, but he couldn't imagine it. If everyone he knew insisted he was something other than who he really was, he probably would crack under the pressure.

"Don't worry, I already have!" Adam said in jest. They both laughed.

Suddenly the bathroom door opened. Greg walked in and did a double take. He slightly frowned seeing Adam in here.

"Hey Greg!" Mateo greeted his mother's boyfriend. He reached for a paper towel to dry his hands. Adam had just finished drying his.

"Hi," Adam said politely.

"Hi boys," Greg said. He hesitated for a few moments before walking to the urinal farthest away.

Adam kept his face neutral, but he didn't like the look Greg gave him. He had seen it many times before so it wasn't hard to decipher. It was a look that said, 'You don't belong.' He turned to Mateo. "You done?"

Mateo nodded. "Yeah." He threw the paper in the trash. "Bye Greg."

The two boys walked to the exit.

-oOo-

"So how come you didn't ask her to wedding?" Adam asked.

Mateo shrugged. "I didn't think her parents would let her go. I mean, we're not far from home but it is a drive."

They were talking about Tracy, the girl that Mateo had a huge crush on. She was in his History class.

"And you didn't want to take the other girl?" Adam questioned.

Mateo shook his head. "I didn't want her or Tracy to get the wrong idea."

"That makes sense," Adam agreed. "So now you're here stag?"

Mateo grinned. "For the first time it actually sucks. I'm too old for the kid's table, but my mom doesn't want me to hang around the older folks either. Most of the day I've been a glorified babysitter!"

Adam chuckled. "Well, have you asked any girls to dance?"

"A few. Most of the girls on Eddie's side of the family brought dates! There was this girl who is 13 and she brought her boyfriend!" the younger boy complained. "Anyway, you certainly don't have that problem."

"Yeah, I brought a date for the first time _ever_," Adam noted.

Mateo grinned. "Well, I saw you earlier. You had no shortage of dance partners before you guys started dancing."

Adam snorted. "Gia doesn't count." Mateo nodded in agreement. "And Shauna definitely doesn't count."

"I beg to differ on that one, but I'll take your word for it!" Mateo teased. "I'm just saying, it seems like you're having a good time. I'm glad."

"Thanks Mattie."

Mateo smiled upon hearing his childhood nickname. No one had called him that in years.

"Looks like we're here. I'm going to find Fiona. You should ask some more girls to dance. Maybe the 11 year olds don't have boyfriends!" Adam joked.

"Har har," Mateo responded. "See you later Cuz!"

Adam walked the long way around the dance floor. He passed by more tables and that's when he noticed Fiona was sitting with a mixed group of friends and relatives. Gia and Eddie were there. Drew, Jess, Eli, and Clare were also there. He smiled broadly and made his way over to them.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: See, no long Fadam separations! In fact there's more Fadam cuteness on the way.

**Reviews = Very cool :D**


	23. From The Beginning

"The Wedding" – part 23

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

23-

"I was that creepy guy in a car at the bus stop," Hector Crúz joked. Everyone at the table laughed. His girlfriend of three years, Cristina, smiled at him. "Every night when I finished my shift at work I would see her waiting for the bus. I would head to the parking lot and start up my car. When I came down the road the light would turn red almost every time and I'd be waiting for it to change right next to her bus stop. Seeing her there made me want to take the bus!"

Again everyone laughed.

Fiona grinned as she ate a forkful of _arroz con pollo_. They were gathered around listening to stories of how couples met. When she left Adam, she had gone straight to buffet table. Eddie, Gia's husband, had been walking by and told her they had plenty of food at their table. They walked over there together and she was pleasantly surprised to see Drew and his date Jess. Clare and Eli were also there. She took a seat near them and grabbed a plate.

"This went on for a week so I kept seeing his car," Cristina continued the story. "It was a black SUV so we weren't eye level. I didn't get a good look at him. I remember he used to blast music though. Always Reggaeton. I was like, was this guy trying to show off his subwoofer?"

Hector lowered his head as they all laughed. Eddie playfully shook his brother's shoulders.

"So how did you guys finally meet?" Shauna asked, moving the story along.

Hector smiled at the memory. "One night, I pulled up blasting Reggaeton. This time the light took an exceptionally long time to change. I glanced at the rear view mirror and there weren't any cars behind me, so I manned up and got out of the car."

"I'm not going lie, there was only one other person at the stop so I was like taken aback. I remember thinking, '_This is how horror movies start!_'" Cristina added. "He came from around the car and walked to the bus stop. We stared at each other for a moment."

Hector continued, "And then I told her, 'I see you here all the time. My name is Hector and I'd like to get know you.'"

"Lame!" a couple of their friends called out in jest.

"Aww, don't mind them! Everyone's a critic!" Gia reassured him.

The whole table was amused at the exchange and laughed.

Clare looked at Cristina. "What made you decide to give him a chance?" she asked.

Cristina smiled. "Well, it was the way he said it. He was so sincere. He wasn't spitting game like, 'Hey Baby come here'."

The girls giggled.

"That's not a valid pick up line?" Eddie's friend Nate teased.

Gia shook her head as she laughed. "Good luck with that!"

Again, everyone laughed.

"Anyway, she gave me her number," Hector continued.

"And he called three days later, trying to play it cool," Cristina smirked.

"I called her and asked if she wanted to grab some ice cream at Dairy Queen," he concluded the story.

"Aww!" the girls at the table cooed.

"Who knew Dairy Queen was so romantic?" Gloria teased.

"Wow, tough audience here!" Eddie remarked.

Hector gave his brother a look. "You're telling me?" He turned to his girlfriend and they shared a quick kiss.

Clare grinned. This was fun. Hector and Cristina's story was the fourth one they heard. Couples were sharing stories of how they first started dating. It was sweet and the energy at the table was positive. Unfortunately they were running out of couples.

"Who's next?" Shauna asked.

Clare looked up and spotted Adam. "Adam!" she said and waved her arm. Everyone followed her line of sight.

"There you are!" Drew said once his brother came closer.

Adam shrugged. "This place is huge!" He looked over at Fiona. She smiled at him.

"I saved you a seat," she said.

"Great," he responded happily and came to her side of the table. He sat down next to her and glanced around the table. "Do you guys have any empty plates?"

Jess picked up a paper plate and passed it down to him.

"Awesome!" he said as his eyes looked over the food.

"So, you guys are next!" Shauna declared.

He furrowed his brows as he reached for an _empanada_. "Next for what?"

Everyone at the table laughed.

"We're sharing 'How we got together' stories," Gia told him amused. "So tell us, how did you guys start dating?" Adam had told her in detail how his relationship with Fiona started, but it would be nice to hear it from her side.

Adam turned to Fiona and they shared a look.

"From the beginning," Clare clarified with a huge smile.

"We first met a year and half ago. We were both waiting on other people. I was waiting for my brother to finish Football practice," Adam started.

"And I was waiting for my best friend Holly J to finish her Student Council duties so we could head to the Dot. I decided to spend the time in the Zen Garden. It's a small outdoor space where people go to read or be alone. The year before I went there almost day for lunch," Fiona told them. "When I got there I found it was already preoccupied by a boy wearing a purple shirt. We had color uniforms at time, so it meant he was a sophomore. I debated whether or not to go in, but I couldn't think of a better place to kill time."

_Fiona slowly walked towards the boy. He seemed to be fully engrossed in reading a comic book. He seemed harmless enough. Perhaps this wouldn't be too bad. "Excuse me?"_

_The boy continued reading his comic for a few moments before suddenly looking up. Their eyes met and they both quickly looked away._

"_Um, is it alright if I sit here?" Fiona asked in a small voice. He looked at her again, with the same confused expression. It was like he was surprised to hear her speak._

"_You want to sit here?" he asked slowly._

_She nodded. "I'm waiting for my friend. This is my usual spot."_

_Adam stared at her. He couldn't believe someone as lovely as her was actually speaking to him. Sure he had seen her around school. It was hard not to notice the beautiful girl standing in front of him. But they never actually had a conversation before. They certainly didn't run in the same circles. His social standing had risen slightly since the party with Kara Saunders, but he still wasn't someone people sought out. Instead of being a target he was now off the radar, which he was more than fine with._

"_I haven't seen you here before," he said quietly. He spent a lot of time in the Zen Garden waiting for Drew._

_She shrugged and sat down on the other end of the bench. "I spend my free periods here, and sometimes lunch."_

"_Oh," he said. That made sense. He always ate lunch with Eli and Clare, and as a sophomore he didn't have a free period._

_She reached into her bag and pulled out her iPod. Adam looked away. Of course, why would she want to speak to him? He was nobody._

"_I usually sit here with my headphones on," she told him. He nodded and turned back to his comic book. "So… do you listen to music?"_

_He looked up surprised. "Huh?"_

_She softly smiled. He was adorable. For some reason she felt comfortable talking to him. "I asked, do you listen to music?"_

_He nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes, I do!" He inwardly cringed. Why was he so spastic?_

_Fiona chuckled. "Well, what do you listen to?"_

"_I love Dead Hand. I went to a concert last semester. Me and my friends had backstage passes! It was awesome!" Adam grinned._

_Fiona broadly smiled. "That's amazing," she said in an upbeat tone._

_They looked at each other while nodding their heads. After a moment Adam said, "You have no idea who they are?"_

_Fiona shook her head. "Nope. Never heard of them."_

"The next day he made me a mixtape of their greatest hits," Fiona told the table.

Everyone laughed.

Adam lowered his head. "Well, I may have been a little over eager," he conceded. "Anyway, we talked in the garden for a bit longer and then decided to get coffee at the Dot."

Fiona nodded. "I texted Holly J that she should meet me there. We ended up talking for another hour."

"That is so sweet!" Gloria said.

"You guys were for friends for awhile, right? How did you end up dating?" Jess asked curiously.

Adam and Fiona looked at each other and smiled.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: In "Til I Hear It From You" I mentioned Fadam met in the Zen Garden. In this chapter their first meeting is detailed :D

**Reviews = kewl**


	24. The Sweetest Love

"The Wedding" – part 24

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Honesty, I heart this chapter. It could be called "Til I Hear It From You – As Told by Adam & Fiona". Lol! It heavily references that story :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi.

* * *

24-

"Well, after we met we started hanging out. Our friends were pretty busy with their own interests or relationships," Adam explained. Eli looked down guiltily. "So we ended up spending a lot of time together. We didn't have all that much in common."

"So it was like a mini-cultural exchange," Fiona continued.

Everyone laughed.

Adam grinned at her. "She liked shopping, art museums, and foreign films."

"And he liked comic books, video games, and loud rock music," Fiona shared. "We quickly realized those interests were never going to merge, so we kept it to a minimum and did things we both enjoyed."

"Like what?" Cristina asked. She didn't see any common ground. Shauna smirked at her question.

Fiona shrugged. "Food. We sampled take out from just about every restaurant in downtown Toronto."

They all laughed.

Gloria snorted. "How did you guys manage that? You're both pretty skinny!" She wasn't tiny by any stretch of the imagination, so she was a little jealous.

Adam and Fiona looked at each other and grinned. "Everything in moderation?" he shrugged. "Anyway, we always had fun together. We played games, watched movies, and became obsessed with Karaoke Superstar. We talked a lot too. We had some similar experiences, which I didn't expect. We became close."

Everyone softened.

"So when did you guys become more than friends?" Eddie asked.

Drew smirked. Eli and Clare shared a knowing look.

Adam looked at Fiona. He couldn't stop smiling! "Well, I had feelings for her for awhile. But, I didn't think I had a chance."

She shook her head. "I had no idea. When he started avoiding me I thought it was one-sided."

"I can't believe you thought I didn't like you!" Adam laughed. He knew they were skipping ahead in the story, but he had to respond.

She smiled. "You were being evasive." She remembered sitting across from him at their table in the Dot. His silence after she implied he might like her was deafening.

Adam shrugged. "Yeah, I was being a little weird," he conceded. "But still, I'd have to be crazy not to!"

Fiona giggled. "What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

He looked at her and grinned. "Come on, you're _you_ and I'm me."

Clare laughed at their exchange. "Maybe you guys should back up and explain David Talbot?"

Adam instantly narrowed his eyes upon hearing the name. Everyone at the table laughed. He quickly switched to a neutral expression but it was too late.

"So who is this David Talbot guy?" Gia asked. She had an inkling but when they spoke Adam left out names.

"He asked Fiona out," Adam revealed.

"And Adam assumed I said yes, which I didn't," Fiona added.

"He was this popular senior jock at our school," Eli said, deciding to flesh out the details.

"Yeah, so that's when I avoided her – for like a day, might I add! It's not like I suddenly stopped talking to her for weeks on end," Adam explained.

"Yes, but you were still acting weird," Clare offered.

"And evasive," Eli smirked.

"And depressed," Drew added. "I told him he should just ask her out but he was all like, 'what's the point?'"

Adam glared at them. "Thanks guys," he said sarcastically.

This caused everyone else at the table to laugh.

Fiona looked at him, thoroughly amused. "So after school I went to the Dot. I was supposed to go with my best friend, but she was busy as usual. When I got there I saw Adam."

"She marched over to where I was and I could tell she was annoyed." Adam chuckled at the memory. He thought she looked cute, but it was one of many thoughts he figured he'd never voice at the time.

"I asked if he was going to be there for awhile and he said no. At that point I asked him if I did something wrong," Fiona continued.

Adam felt guilty for that. "I assured her that she didn't… and that maybe we should hang out less. At the time I was like social kryptonite, so I didn't want to hold her back or anything."

"Of course I told him that was silly!" Fiona said and swatted his shoulder. He smiled. "When I asked him why he was saying all of this he mentioned that he saw David ask me out. Obviously he didn't stick around because if he did he would have heard me turn him down."

Adam grinned at her. "Yeah, that was kind of stupid. I just didn't think I could handle it if I saw you say yes," he admitted.

"Aww!" the girls at the table cooed. Adam blushed.

"So then I asked him, why did he care if we're just friends?" she paused. Everyone waited in anticipation for the answer. Adam groaned and looked away. Shauna raised an eyebrow.

"Then what happened?" Jess asked. This part of the story was new to her.

Fiona had a wry smile. "Then there was silence."

Everyone turned to Adam.

"Hey, I did say something," he argued meekly.

"Oh right," Fiona said. "He said, 'What?' I repeated myself and _then_ there was silence."

A number of people grimaced.

"Real smooth, man," Eddie teased him.

"Okay, I completely choked," Adam admitted. "She left and I ran to catch up with her. The conversation didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked because I still had trouble expressing myself. I liked her so much and I never considered she would actually like me back. Finally I told her that I liked her a lot." He turned to Fiona with a smile.

"And then we kissed," Fiona finished as she looked into his eyes. Adam was blushing again which she found adorable.

"Aww!" all the girls cooed again.

"I gotta say, that was an excellent story," Hector admitted.

"I think so too," Fiona agreed. She was still looking at Adam. She leaned forward and kissed him. This time she felt him immediately kiss back. It was short kiss, but when they pulled away he looked at her in wonder.

Adam knew he had a silly grin on his face. "That reminds me of our first kiss," he quipped. She had kissed him first that time too.

Everyone at the table laughed, but he was still in a daze. Fiona Coyne had just kissed him in front of everyone. It never ceased to amaze him how proud she was to declare how she felt about him in public. She didn't care what anyone thought. She loved him and didn't think twice about screaming it from the rooftops. He wished he could be like that, but he knew he had a long way to go.

It was hard for him because he loved her with every fiber of his being, yet he was still struggling to break free from the scars of his past. All the times he had been shoved against lockers, thrown through doors, taunted, and received looks of derision for simply being who he was had left their mark on his psyche, even though his life today was so different.

The conversation at the table moved on. Fiona reached for his hand, almost as if she could sense what he was thinking. He smiled and took her hand. He had faith that in time he would get there, and he knew she did too.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: So, it's around that time again… the dreaded mid-week slump. Depending how far I get tonight, I'll next update this story either on Thursday or Saturday. I'm not planning to update on D-Day (Degrassi Day!) but I suspect there'll be very little fan fic reading on Friday anyhow :D

I admit, I'm *very* apprehensive about the new episode. I want it to be happy for Fadam. We'll see how it goes. :-x

A/N #2: FYI, The song this chapter is named after is amazing. It's "The Sweetest Love" by Robin Thicke. Definitely reminds me of Fadam.

**Note - 2/15/11:**  
**Fear not, I will continue this fic! I usually write on the weekends, however I didn't get far this past weekend. Sunday or Monday looks brighter for the next update.**

**Thanks for the reviews guys! Cheers!  
**


	25. Who We Are

"The Wedding" – part 25

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. It's been awhile since an update. Enjoy!

Music Credit: "Heaven" by John Legend and "Live Your Life" by T.I. (featuring Rihanna).

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi, nor any music!

* * *

25-

Thirty minutes later they were still sitting at the table. No one wanted to get up. The extra helping of food made most of them tired, so conversation was preferred over dancing. Several different discussions were ongoing at the moment.

_There you go with the same old thing  
When things go wrong you always seem to blame me  
Now I would like to find what secrets hide in your mind  
Where the end will go  
Will I ever know?  
Heaven only knows_

"Wow, I'm surprised this is playing," Adam remarked.

Eddie grinned. "What, you're not a fan of John Legend?" The song 'Heaven' was playing.

Adam laughed. "Actually, I have his last few albums. Not sure if this is a wedding song though," he noted.

Eddie shrugged. "Maybe not, but it's real. Anyone who has been in long-term relationship can relate."

Adam nodded. "True." This song was one of his favorites. It was about a couple getting back on track after going through a rough patch. He listened to it countless times last November, when he and Fiona were figuring things out. He thought it was an interesting choice to include at a wedding because the song acknowledged that relationships didn't always go smoothly.

_So let's make this night the best night, it's time for second chance  
Turn the beat up on repeat and we can start to dance  
Sometimes when we talking words get drowned on by the sound  
Let's get back to touch and we'll get back on solid ground_

Shauna frowned at Eddie. "You actually included this song?" When it came to dances there were only two types of music she wanted to hear – pop tunes or club songs.

Gia shook her head. Her husband and her best friend were never going to see eye to eye on music. She caught Adam's eye and the two of them grinned.

"It might be not be Lady Gaga, but I don't see why not," Eddie retorted.

"Thank goodness for that!" Eli commented from across the table.

Everyone laughed.

Shauna narrowed her eyes. "Everybody loves 'Just Dance'!" she said stated as an absolute truth.

Eli snorted. "There's so much wrong with that statement, I don't know where to begin."

Clare gave him a look. "Be nice," she whispered.

Eli smirked at her. "What?" he said innocently.

When the next song came on Eddie jumped up. Gia looked at her husband amused. He reached for her hand. "Come on, we're dancing!" he said excitedly.

Gia laughed as she stood up. He looked as happy as a kid in a candy store at the moment. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Alright."

_Hey, this a special what's happenin' to all my  
All my soldiers over there in Iraq  
Everybody right here, what you need to do  
Be thankful for the life you got, you know what I'm sayin'?  
Stop lookin' at what you ain't got  
Start bein' thankful for what you do got  
Let's give it to 'em baby girl, hey_

Eddie looked back at the table. "Everyone up, let's go!" he ordered.

Shauna nodded her head. "Yeah, I can dance to this." She eyed one of Eddie's friends. "Nate?" she said seductively. He grinned at her and the two made their way to the dance floor.

"No complaints Goldworthy!" Adam teased as the rest of the group migrated to the floor. He and Fiona were holding hands and had bright smiles.

Eli shrugged and casually wrapped an arm around Clare. "Not like I have a choice?"

"Nope!" Clare and Adam responded at the same time.

Drew and Jess were trailing behind. Adam looked back at his brother with an amused smile.

"So are you going to do the rap?" Adam laughed.

Drew quickly shook his head. "No thanks." He didn't mind rapping at home or while in the car, but he rather not embarrass himself in front of his date.

Adam, Fiona, Eli and Clare were only able to hold in their laughter for few a seconds. Drew glared at them.

"Why not? Everyone is probably going to sing along?" Jess quietly asked him. She found the thought of Drew rapping along to T.I. both amusing and endearing.

Drew grinned at her before looking away with a noncommittal shrug. "Maybe for you I will," he teased.

_You're gonna be a shinin' star  
In fancy clothes and fancy cars  
And then you'll see you're gonna go far  
'Cause everyone knows just who you are_

Nearly all of the young people at the wedding were crammed on the floor. The mood was exuberant. Everybody had they hands up in the air as they sang along to the chorus.

Despite himself, Eli grinned. The energy was similar to the Katy Perry song, yet it seemed like they were having even more fun this time around!

_So live your life, hey  
You steady chasin' that paper  
Just live your life, oh  
Ain't got no time for no haters_

Fiona couldn't stop laughing. Drew was caught up in the song and moved his hands in an exaggerated manner as he mouthed the words. Adam chuckled at the sight before returning his gaze to Fiona. She looked adorable and he loved seeing her so happy. He pulled her close and a placed a small kiss on her cheek.

She playfully raised an eyebrow before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "PDA!" she giggled. She saw a worried expression flicker across his face as he turned toward her.

"You don't think—"

"I was just joking," she quickly assured him as she reached for his hand. "Relax," she added softly.

Adam looked down at their intertwined hands. He felt a little silly. "Yeah, you're right," he admitted. He looked up and found her smiling at him. Her eyes were full of understanding and his spirits rose.

Suddenly Drew came up from behind them and wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, interrupting the moment.

"Sing!" he commanded loudly, so that he could be heard over the music.

_Got everybody watchin' what I do, come walk in my shoes  
And see the way I'm livin' if you really want to  
Got my mind on my money  
And I'm not goin' away_

Once again, the whole floor sang the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

Pepe shook his head. "Kids today," he remarked.

His wife Lily laughed. "If we were younger, we'd be out on the floor."

He quickly nodded his head in agreement. "Probably," he grinned.

"Definitely!" Audra giggled. Omar smiled at her.

"I'm just happy they are having a good time," Abuela Lucia said as she watched her grandchildren and their friends dance.

_I'm livin' my life, my life  
I will never lose  
I'm livin' my life, my life  
And I'll never stop it_

_So live your life_

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Doing my best to avoid song fic territory, but there's lots of dancing and songs being danced to at a wedding!

Sorry for the long wait for an update. It took awhile before this chapter came together. The next update will be later this week. FYI, we're approaching the end of this story within the next few chapters.

Thank you for the reviews, alerts, and favorites!

-Cheers!


	26. Because You Live

"The Wedding" – part 26

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks the reviews, alerts, and faves! Here's another chapter filled with Fadam goodness!

Music Credit: "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi, nor any music!

* * *

26-

Adam grinned at his girlfriend as the song came to a close. That last dance was so much fun. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying the night. The sun had finally set and the area looked beautiful with the decorative lighting. The white lights that hung from the canopy reminded him of Christmas lights.

Fiona met his eyes and smiled.

"I'm not sure what can top that," she said in jest. Adam softly laughed.

"I bet they're going to…" He paused so he could hear the song that just started. Upon recognizing it, he sent Fiona a knowing look. "Play a slow song," he finished.

People quickly began to pair off as the piano intro to 'If I Ain't Got You' by Alicia Keys played. It was one of Fiona's favorite songs. It described how she felt about Adam so well. She had pictured dancing to this song at their wedding countless times.

Adam stepped toward her and brought his hands to her waist. Fiona wrapped her hands around his neck as they swayed to the music.

"This is perfect," she smiled. She looked deeply into his eyes. In this moment she was truly content, and could see that he felt the same way.

_Some people live for the fortune_  
_Some people live just for the fame_  
_Some people live for the power_  
_Some people live just to play the game_

_Some people think that the physical things define what's within_  
_And I have been there before, and that life's a bore_  
_So full of the superficial_

Adam looked lovingly at his girlfriend as they continued to dance. He couldn't be happier to have her in his arms. This song meant a lot to him too. Fiona was everything to him. She was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He loved her with all his heart.

He leaned in closer to her and began to softly sing. "Some people want it all but I don't want nothing at all, if it ain't you baby. If I ain't got you baby."

Fiona lightly chuckled.

"Hey, it's true!" he laughed.

"I know," she grinned. "I find it amusing that you harmonize so well with Alicia Keys," she teased.

Adam shrugged. "It's a gift," he quipped. "Wait, is this your way of telling me I'm ruining the song?" he inquired. He looked at her with an amused expression.

She giggled and shook her head. "No, seriously. You're much better at it than I am."

They both laughed. Adam decided to suddenly spin them around, causing Fiona to laugh even more.

"Thanks for the fair warning," she said when they were back on solid footing. She tried to convey mock annoyance, but the effect was lost in translation because she was still smiling.

Adam grinned and fought the urge to caress her cheek as he stared into her eyes again. "I love you, Fiona," he told her.

_Some people want diamond rings_  
_Some just want everything_  
_But everything means nothing_  
_If I ain't got you_

Fiona felt her eyes began to tear up. The conviction in his voice moved her deeply. Combined with this day, which had gone better than she could have imagined, and the beautiful lyrics of this song, her emotions spilled over. Six weeks ago she had nearly lost him forever, yet here they were together and happy. It was truly astounding. Words could not express how thankful she was to not only have him in her life, but to know they were moving forward and that their future together was so bright.

Adam was momentarily confused. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. He quickly removed a hand from her waist and gently wiped her tears away. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked quietly. He did his best to keep his tone upbeat, but he was concerned. Tears on the dance floor didn't seem good.

Fiona softly laughed. "I'm good. Great, actually!" she assured him. He looked back at her unconvinced. He seemed to have a sixth sense for whenever she was leaving something out. "I love you too. I'm just really happy to be here with you."

Adam gave her a small smile. The meaning behind her words hadn't been lost on him. "Me too, Fi. And I'm not going anywhere," he told her, addressing her unspoken thoughts. "I mean it. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

-oOo-

Clare glanced over at her friends concerned. She wasn't close enough to hear what they were talking about, but she surmised Fiona had been crying since she saw Adam wiping tears away.

Eli threw her a worried look. He was tempted to go over there and ask them if everything was alright but that would probably draw attention.

"They're smiling," Clare whispered as she and Eli continued to sway to the music.

Eli furrowed his brows and turned to see for himself. Sure enough, Adam and Fiona were smiling at each other. "Happy tears?" he questioned.

Clare nodded. She could tell the difference between crying when upset and crying when joyful. This seemed to be the latter.

Eli shook his head in confusion. He would never understand girls. Clare caught on to his look.

"This is her wedding song," she revealed.

"Fiona already picked out a song for their wedding?" he laughed. Clare sent him a stern look. As he listened to the lyrics, he had to admit this was a pretty decent choice. "Sorry."

Clare sighed. "Could you show a little compassion? I think she's entitled to show a little emotion from time to time. She loves him and the last four months haven't been easy."

Eli clinched his jaw. "I know that, alright? I just… I was just trying to provide some levity." He looked away.

Despite herself, Clare cracked a small smile at his choice of words. She took a deep breath as she considered her words. "I know you didn't mean any harm," she said softly. Eli smiled at her, happy to receive her vote of confidence. "You were just being you, sarcasm and all."

Perhaps that was the crux of their problem. Despite how much she cared about him, and how much she enjoyed being around him, at the end of the day their personalities were just too different to make a relationship between them work. It saddened Clare to think this, because Eli was a great guy. He hadn't done anything wrong this time around. He just made an offhand comment, but it reminded her that they would always been struggling to make the other into what they needed.

"I'm glad that you get me," Eli smirked. He noticed her expression briefly falter before she turned to him with a smile.

"It's a gift," she deadpanned.

Eli chuckled. He was fresh out of quips so he simply held her as they continued to dance.

_If I ain't got you with me baby_  
_Nothing in this whole wide world don't mean a thing_  
_If I ain't got you with me baby_

As the song drew to a close Fiona felt a little self-conscious. She was kicking herself for her earlier display of waterworks. She looked up at Adam and found him looking at her with open affection. She instantly smiled.

"This one goes on the list," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.

She threw him a quizzical look. It took her a couple of seconds to realize what he was referring to. "I hate to break it you, but this one has been on the wedding song list for months," she teased.

Adam softly laughed. "Good to know," he said as another slow song started playing. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"A real walk," he clarified.

They both laughed.

She reached for his hand. "I'd like that."

Adam grinned at her and led them off the dance floor.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Oy. It's not looking good for eClare... I do think Clare is being rather mature in acknowledging the reasons they broke up haven't been resolved.

On an awesome note, it's really cool to cross songs I wanted to use and scenes I wanted to write off the list as this fic continues. I can't believe this is chapter 26!

**Reviews = Totally Cool :D**

* * *

_**Updated 3/20/11:**_

Thanks for all the inquiries about this story! It's currently on hold for a bit.

.

_**Updated 7/3/11:**_

So... This is rather amazing. At least I think it is, lol. I'm totally excited and am still in a daze a little. I just wrote the final chapter of "The Wedding"!

I know, this fic has been on hold for over three months! I'm happy about it, because that means I'm going to update this real soon! Just need to proofread and all that jazz. There are _three_ additional chapters. They're all lengthy and there's a variety of characters in them - as well as some great Fadam moments! I think it wraps up the story pretty well. So, yay! This fic is finally complete! It will be updated this week!

- Cheers!


	27. A Child's View

"The Wedding" – part 27

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Words can't express how happy I am to share this chapter! It feels really good to finish a story – especially after being stuck for so long! – and I'm happy to report this story is nearing its end!

Thanks so much for the inquiries into this story, as well as the hits, saves, alerts, and reviews! It's all been mucho appreciated! Now without further ado…

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

27-

Once they reached the grass there seemed to ten degree difference in temperature. Adam and Fiona grinned at each other, both enjoying the cool air. Fiona was pleasantly surprised that Adam didn't let go of her hand as they continued to walk.

"Any particular destination?" she asked lightly.

He looked into her eyes. "Nope."

The intensity of his gaze made her slightly blush. She looked away.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked after a moment.

She grinned as she turned to him. "You have to ask?"

They both softly laughed.

"I'm so glad you're here with me, Fi," he told her, as he held her gaze.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," she told him honestly, as she stared into his eyes.

Adam reached up and gently caressed her cheek.

Suddenly they heard some giggling. They both looked around spotted two children crouching nearby. Adam immediately recognized them as ten year old Carlito and eight year old Juan.

He took a step back from Fiona and turned towards his younger cousins. "_¿Qué estáis haciendo?_" he questioned.

"_Nos estamos escondiendo_," Carlito whispered. Juan happily nodded.

Fiona looked on confused as Adam shook his head.

"Who are you hiding from?" Adam asked them. He was certain whoever was in charge of them was probably concerned that they wandered off. They were close to the lake, and he knew that his Aunts and Uncles didn't want the children to venture there unaccompanied.

As if on cue, Mateo showed up. "There you guys are!" he exclaimed. He sounded winded. "You guys weren't supposed to run off so far!" he scolded them.

Carlito and Juan lowered their heads.

Adam could tell he had been worried and sent Mateo a sympathetic look. "You have to listen to Mateo, guys. He's only trying to keep you safe," he added.

"We were just going to go to the trees, but then we saw you and thought it would be fine," Carlito explained.

"Yeah," Juan readily agreed.

Fiona had a small smile. She thought that was an excellent save.

Mateo and Adam shared a look.

"You still have to follow the rules. Mateo is in charge," Adam reminded them.

"Okay," the two boys said solemnly.

"Let's head back to the others," Mateo ordered them. He turned to Adam and Fiona. "Sorry to interrupt."

Adam quickly waved him off. "No, no. We were just…" He looked at Fiona. "Um, enjoying the sunset."

She smirked at the lame excuse, as did Mateo.

"Uh huh," his cousin grinned knowingly. "Even though the sun has already gone down?"

Adam glanced back at the lake. Mateo was right. It was officially nightfall now, though there was still a small hint of light purple on the horizon. "Um…"

Mateo and Fiona both chuckled. He frowned at them. "Hey!"

-oOo-

Audra walked through the crowded dance floor. She spotted her son with his date, dancing to a slow song. "Drew, do you know where Adam is?"

He glanced at Jess. "I think they walked off somewhere." He wasn't sure how long ago that was though. Thankfully Jess spoke up.

"I think they left about fifteen minutes ago," she said.

Audra nodded. "Ok. They're going to do the last dance soon." The festivities were indeed winding down. "So we're going to be leaving soon," she told them.

Drew and Jess nodded. "Thanks Mom," he said.

-oOo-

"Sam?" Linda called out. Her daughter usually spent playtime doing solitary activities, such as coloring with crayons. However tonight she really blossomed and enjoyed playing games with her cousins. When she last checked on her twenty minutes ago, she was playing with other children her age and they were being supervised by older cousins.

Her husband Ken decided it was best for them to get a jump start on traffic, so they were leaving now. They stayed for most of the reception, so Linda didn't feel bad.

She smiled when she found the children. Most of them were sitting on the grass, though a few were seated at the picnic tables. She spotted her cousin Mateo holding one of the younger kids in his arms. Youngsters from both the bride and groom's families were gathered around, listening to a story, which Linda thought was wonderful. It was past bedtime for most of them, so it was good that they were no longer running around.

She scanned the group for Sam and spotted her upfront, sitting next to Benjamin, who was Uncle Pepe's older son. Linda instantly frowned when she realized Adam was the storyteller.

"It's a wonder, right?" she suddenly heard.

She looked to her left and was surprised to see her uncle standing right next to her.

Pepe smiled. "This has to be the first time some of these kids have sat still all day!" he noted with a laugh. "I came here to tell them the party's about to end soon, but I'll let Adam finish his story. They seem so into it."

Linda nodded politely. "They do," she remarked.

"He has a way with them," Pepe observed. "Poor Mateo was running around like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to keep them all in line!"

Linda genuinely laughed.

Pepe grinned at his handiwork. He loved his niece, but she was so serious all the time.

"They really missed their cousin, and I know he missed them too." Linda didn't say anything, but for the first time in a long time she opened her mind to listen. "These young ones, they don't have the hang ups that we do. They don't care who he used to be. None of that matters to them."

Linda sighed. "Sam is too young to remember Gracie," she admitted. "But at some point they are going to ask questions," she pointed out.

Pepe glanced at Adam. He was quite animated in his re-telling of 'The Three Little Pigs'. Sam was amongst those laughing as Adam reenacted the wolf trying to blow one of the pig's houses down. Pepe spotted Fiona sitting close-by, at a picnic table next his younger son Juan. Both were all smiles.

"Kids are resilient, Linda. They handle the truth pretty well," Pepe insisted. "Last summer when Adam worked for me in New York, Lily and I talked to our boys. There was no need to get into specifics. To them it made sense because Grace was always 'more like them' than Gia."

Linda cracked a small smile at the simplicity of their reasoning. In her opinion, the observation rang true. "That may be… but I still don't agree with it," she held her ground. Her cousin's lifestyle went against her beliefs. She didn't want her daughter to think it was normal.

Pepe looked at her sadly. "Family is family," he reminded her.

Linda nodded. "And what's right, is right," she countered.

"And wrong is _wrong_," Pepe refuted. He shook his head with disappointment and walked away.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Fadam + kids = adorable!

It's good to see Adam interacting with his cousins and Uncle Pepe in the mix! Not so great to see Linda… but Sam is a sweetheart!

**Let me know what you think about this chapter. The next will be added on Wednesday!**

* * *

Spanish Translations:

_¿__Qué estáis haciendo__?_ = What are you guys doing?

_Nos estamos escondiendo_ = We are hiding (Updated this, hehe. Thanks Adrian!)


	28. Our Own Rules

"The Wedding" – part 28

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews :D This is the penultimate chapter – next one is the last!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

28-

Gia grinned at her husband. She and Eddie had been dancing up a storm to the last batch of fast songs. The DJ went from hip hop to salsa to club music. Currently he was playing the dance version of "Heaven". Gia loved this song! There were various memories attached to it.

Over the years she and Shauna had listened to it countless times while getting ready for nights out. And she had danced to this song plenty of times playing _Dance Dance Revolution_. It was the one of the few video games she would actually play with her younger brothers and Adam. But the song forever held a place in her heart because it was playing over the sound system when she first saw Eddie. They were at a house party. Gia didn't know the host personally, it was a friend of one of Shauna friends, but he turned out to be one of Eddie's cousins. Later that night when she stepped out to get some air, Eddie approached her and the rest was history.

Eddie suddenly spun her around. They both laughed.

"Seriously, this song warrants turns?" Gia teased him.

He grinned at her. "You were looking nostalgic. The night's not over yet!"

Gia smiled. He knew her well. "I know. I just don't want this night to end," she stated. "Everyone is here, and we're all having such a good time."

Eddie nodded. He was going to be sad to see the night end too. Though he was looking forward to their wedding night…

"Come here," he said softly and outstretched his arms.

Gia laughed. "This isn't a slow song," she pointed out.

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace. "We're the groom and bride. We make the rules," he asserted.

"Good point," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

They softly swayed to the rest of the song.

-oOo-

"Do you want me to make one more run to the buffet table?" Eli inquired.

Clare laughed as she shook her head. "I think I had my fill, but thanks."

Eli gave her a lopsided grin. "Tonight was pretty awesome."

Clare nodded. "It was," she agreed. The reception had gone better than she could have imagines. Adam's family was so warm and inviting. She could feel the love in the air, between parents and children. Amongst siblings, cousins, and friends. It made her sad to think that he spent the last three years away from them, unsure if they would reject him or not.

Drew and Jess came up to them.

"Hey guys," Drew greeted them.

"We haven't seen him," Eli said knowingly, answering the question before Drew could ask.

Both girls laughed.

"Well, if we don't find him soon my Mom's going to put out a search party for him," Drew responded. The rest of them laughed again, but he was actually somewhat serious.

"Wait, I see him," Clare announced. "He's got a kid in his arms," she said, repeating Eli's words from earlier in the day.

Drew, Eli, and Jess followed her line of sight. Sure enough, they saw Adam heading back towards the dance floor along with Uncle Pepe. Both of them had young children in their arms that were sleeping. Adam was holding a little girl, who looked about three or four. His uncle was carrying a little boy that was about six years old. Drew spotted Mateo not far behind them talking to Fiona. They were holding hands with some of the younger kids.

Drew laughed. "Of course!"

Clare, Eli, and Jess looked at him with quizzical expressions.

"I saw Mateo looking frazzled earlier when he got stuck with babysitting duty. I'm not surprised he needed back up," Drew chuckled.

"And how come you didn't help?" Clare questioned.

Drew furrowed his brows as he thought about it before settling into smirk. "I'm not easily manipulated," he joked.

Eli initiated a fist bump. Clare and Jess shook their heads at their immaturity.

-oOo-

"I'm glad we didn't miss the last song," Mateo happily stated. He spent the last hour and half watching the kids and he was looking forward to dancing.

Adam and Fiona nodded in agreement.

"Is there a girl you want to dance with?" Uncle Pepe teased his younger nephew.

Mateo sighed. "They all brought dates!" he griped.

Adam and Uncle Pepe chuckled.

"Well, maybe you'll have better luck now," Fiona suggested. "Everyone gets on the dance floor for the final songs."

Mateo shrugged unconvinced. He decided next time he was definitely not going to one of these things solo!

"Is that Filiberto?" Pepe questioned. They all followed his eyes.

"Sure is," Adam confirmed with a laugh.

His thirteen year old cousin was dancing with a girl around the same age. They deduced she was from Eddie's side of the family.

Mateo sent Adam a warning look, causing him to laugh.

"I didn't say anything!" Adam protested as he continued to laugh.

"You didn't have to," Mateo retorted, annoyed that his younger brother apparently had better luck than he did.

Fiona chuckled at their exchange, as did Uncle Pepe.

"Okay, let's drop these kids off so we can dance," Pepe declared.

The three teens nodded in agreement.

A moment later a woman in her forties came up to Adam with a smile. "_¡Ahí ella está!_" she said relieved.

Adam grinned. "_Ella está muy cansada_," he noted as he handed the girl to her.

The woman laughed as she nodded. "_¡Sí, ha sido un largo día para los niños!_" The girl stirred a little as she rested in her grandmother's arms. "_Pero ellos se divirtieron. Gracias._"

"_De nada. ¡Que tengas una buena noche!_" Adam told her and watched them walk away.

"One down, nine to go," Mateo quipped.

Uncle Pepe looked at him amused. "Thanks for keeping score!"

-oOo-

"Ooh, I want to dance to this!" Fiona said excitedly. 'Firework' by Katy Perry was playing. The last child had been returned to his parents. Uncle Pepe left with Juan and Benjamin to find his wife, Lily. They were now free to enjoy the rest of their night!

Adam reached for her hand. "As you wish, princess."

Mateo chuckled upon hearing the nickname. "See you guys later," he told them.

Fiona and Adam exchanged a look. She felt bad leaving his cousin on his own. She quickly glanced around and saw a teenage girl sitting at a nearby table. She looked about Mateo's age, give or take a year, and seemed bored as she fiddled with her cell phone.

"I'll be right back," Fiona announced.

Adam held back a smirk. She hadn't been all that subtle.

"Tell me she's not…" Mateo trailed off with a groan.

"Hey, you brought on yourself with all the teenage angst," Adam scolded him in jest. "Fi, doesn't like to see people upset." Adam idly wondered if he was that moody when he was younger, before quickly dismissing the thought. He _knew_ he had been! He had good reason to be so in his opinion, but all teens had their sullen moments!

Mateo rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed. "Sorry. I had a lot of fun today, really," he insisted. "I'm so happy I got to see everyone."

"But you're kicking yourself for not inviting your crush?" Adam questioned.

Mateo looked at him surprised. Was he that obvious?

"Hey, life throws us lots of opportunities. It's up to us whether we take them or not. It's not good to dwell on 'shoulda woulda coulda'," Adam told him. "I think you'll get another shot. But right now it's better to the focus on the present. You can still have a good time tonight."

Fiona came up to them. "Mateo, this is Erica. She came with a friend but he had to leave about an hour ago so he wouldn't miss curfew, and her parents wouldn't let her leave. She would love to dance!"

Adam smirked at her straightforward introduction. The younger teens looked at each other shyly, but acknowledged they were both in the same boat.

"You are about as subtle as a hammer," Adam teased her, after Mateo and Erica left to dance.

Fiona shrugged. "Directness has its benefits." She doubted Mateo would have asked the girl to dance. His confidence had been shot due to his unlucky spell earlier.

"Clearly," Adam laughed as he guided them to a good spot on the dance floor. He was elated it was just the two of them again.

"Well, that was an interesting walk," she noted as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It wasn't exactly a slow song but she didn't care. She smiled as Adam brought his hands to her waist.

He chuckled. "Next time I suggest a walk, feel free to say no!" he joked.

They both softly laughed.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Next chapter is the final chapter!

**It will be posted on Friday!**

.

Spanish Translations: (almost forgot to add this!)

_¡Ahí ella está!_ = There she is!

_Ella está muy cansada_ = She is very tired

_¡Sí, ha sido un largo día para los niños!_ = Yes, it has been a long day for the children!

_Pero ellos se divirtieron. Gracias_ = But they had fun. Thanks

_De nada. ¡Que tengas una buena noche!_ = You're welcome. Have a good night!

.**  
**

* * *

_To the folks I cannot directly message:_**  
**

Anonymous - Thanks the review! Yeah, it was a long wait, haha. I'm glad you liked the previous chapter :D**  
**


	29. Goodbyes

"The Wedding" – part 29

Summary and additional notes in part 1.

Author's Note: This is the **final** chapter! Enjoy :D

Music Credit: "The Sweetest Love" by Robin Thicke.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

29-

The last song was a slow one. Couples of all ages danced along to "The Sweetest Love" by Robin Thicke.

_I got the sweetest love  
There ain't nothing sweeter  
I got the sweetest love  
Can't nothing beat it  
There ain't nothing sweeter_

Adam grinned broadly at Fiona. This song was one of his favorites. The sentiment of it definitely rang true for him. Six weeks ago he had been at his lowest low. He had been convinced he'd never smile or feel genuinely happy again. Yet here he was, amongst family and friends, surrounded by so much love. In his arms, was the woman who had his heart. The one he wanted to share his life with. She was a part of him, and he was part of her.

He felt sentimental so many times today, but in this moment he let his feelings flow. She met his eyes and he knew that he didn't need any words. As she looked back at him, her eyes echoed the same emotion. He leaned forward and rested his forehead again hers.

_Now I'm a climber, this mountain's just my ladder  
It gets better every second we're together  
Ooh, baby, it feels so right  
A new beginning starts tonight  
The reason for wedding songs  
It's because of you and me and  
Sweetest love_

"They're so cute," Gia commented.

Eddie looked at her amused. This was the last dance of the night and his wife was making observations about the crowd! It was endearing to him. Gia cared deeply about others, and her caring nature moved him.

"Who?" he asked, not wanting to turn his head.

"Adam and Fiona."

He chuckled. "I'm calling it now. They're going to have the next wedding!" After seeing them interact, he was convinced it would be sooner rather than later.

Gia softly laughed. "He says they want to wait until they're done with school," she told him.

Eddie shook his head. "I doubt they'll holdout that long!"

Gia shrugged. "He can be a bit of a perfectionist at times, and I know he'll want everything to be right."

"Eh, we'll see," Eddie responded. "It's clear that this perfectionist thing runs in families, but I convinced you to take a chance," he laughed.

Gia gave him a look. When she and Eddie got married last fall, it had been the happiest day of her life. But it did take some convincing to get her to walk down the aisle. She initially argued that they were too young. However, when they got word that his Army unit was shipping out early, she reconsidered. Eddie was the love of her life and she didn't want to wait anymore.

"Hmm, you're way too smug!" she teased him.

He laughed again and gently pulled her close. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you, too."

_Finally, I can't believe  
It's you and me, you're my sweetest love_

Audra smiled as she glanced over at her sons. Drew was relaxed and happy as he danced with his eyes focused on his date. She noticed that he had been quite the gentleman throughout the day. Sure he had a few uncouth moments, but she knew he had shown his date Jess a lovely time.

Dancing several feet away, were Adam and his girlfriend Fiona. The two danced close as they swayed to music. It was clear even from this distance, that they were a couple in love. Earlier in the evening, a few people wondered if they were dating or just friends. In her couture dress, Fiona looked like she stepped out a fashion magazine. The sentiment wasn't new to Audra, after all that had been her first impression of the girl when they first met. Initially they seemed mismatched to the doubters, who were well aware of Adam's past, but there was no question that they were indeed a couple now.

'Happy' just didn't describe how elated and relieved Audra was at how this day had gone! Their family accepted Adam with open arms. Her mother had gone from being uneasy about Adam dating Fiona, to raving to Audra about how much she liked the girl. There was no weirdness between the cousins or any drama she knew of.

"I kind of don't want to leave either," Omar whispered into her ear.

Audra grinned at him and raised an eyebrow.

"It's written all over your face," he responded to her unasked question.

"I was just thinking about how wonderful today was," Audra explained.

He nodded and slowly turned them around.

"Nice moves," she teased her husband.

He chuckled. "Hey, I still got it!"

_Sweetest love  
Can't believe, you and me  
We got it  
You're my sweetest love_

Adam and Fiona smiled at each other as the song finished.

"I think that was the perfect song to end on," she told him.

He nodded. "Yeah, it was a great choice."

Eli and Clare walked over to them.

"I guess that's it, right?" Eli remarked.

"Yep," Adam responded. He then smirked. "Wait, do I actually see a tear in your eye, Elijah?"

They all laughed, with the exception of Eli who frowned.

"Seriously? You're using my material!" he protested in jest.

Drew and Jess approached them holding hands.

"Let's find Mom and Dad," Drew suggested.

The teens nodded and walked through the crowd. Mr. and Mrs. Torres were at their table, gathering the bags.

"Oh, there you kids are," Audra said when she spotted them. "Fiona, Clare, Jess. I've got your purses right here."

The three girls smiled appreciatively.

Moments later Uncle Pepe approached the table with his wife and sons. The two families said their goodbyes.

"We're staying at Sarah's. Tomorrow we're going to drive back to the city," Pepe told his sister.

"Care to make a detour to Toronto?" Audra suggested in jest.

Pepe smiled wistfully. "Lily and I have a lot of driving to do," he said regretfully.

"Which is why having lunch in Buffalo tomorrow sounds like a better idea," Omar stated. Audra looked at him and he nodded. He was game for it, if she was.

She laughed happily at the idea and everyone broke out in excited smiles. Tonight they wouldn't be saying goodbye, only 'see you later'.

-oOo-

Adam had a huge grin as he followed Fiona into the minivan. They had just said goodbye to Gia and Eddie. The couple was flying to Connecticut tomorrow morning, for a short honeymoon. They didn't have one when got married last fall.

Gia had lost her battle to keep her mascara from running. Adam had a sarcastic quip ready when he saw her, but when they hugged he had been no better. He hated crying in public, but these were happy tears. He didn't feel bad about it, because it only showed how much he cared. He promised not to be a stranger from now on, and they both ended up simultaneously laughing and crying.

Fiona reached for his hand. "I love you," she told him.

He smiled and threaded his fingers through hers. "I love you, too." He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Eli smirked at the PDA, but held his tongue this time. Clare gave him a look of approval for his restraint before turning around and putting on her seat belt.

Audra yawned as she pulled out the road map. It had been a long day! She glanced at her husband. "You okay?"

Omar smiled warmly at his wife. "I'm fine," he told her. He wished he could have had some of the _Cojito_ earlier but in this moment he was immensely happy that he refrained. He was fully alert and confident he could bring his family home safely. Nothing mattered more.

"Thanks for coming," Drew whispered into Jess's ear. Once again they were sitting in the back seat.

She grinned as she looked at him. "You were the perfect date."

This time Eli couldn't resist commenting. "Too. Much. Cheese!"

They all laughed.

Adam and Fiona shared a look. "Better them than us!" he remarked amused.

Fiona nodded and then rested her head on his shoulder. Neither one could lose the smile on their faces if they tried.

.

-FIN-

* * *

A/N: Wow, it's been a _long_ road to this point! I started writing this story in December of last year and just finished it on Sunday!

Thank you for coming along on the journey. Writing this fic has been a lot of fun and the comments from you guys have been awesome to read!

This was very much a family fic. The major theme throughout was acceptance – of both yourself and others. Another important theme is that in the end love is all that matters! Not everything worked out perfectly for Adam, namely the friction with his first cousin Linda, but he saw that his fears were largely unfounded and he has more support than he knew!

Over the course of the story, he relaxes more as he realizes he doesn't have to edit himself or minimize his relationship with Fiona. Growing up he had to hide his true self and never talked about his love life, so it took some time for him to feel comfortable being 'Adam' around his relatives. The past is in the past, and he now knows that his family is happy to move forward with him, which is a beautiful thing!

Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate all the hits, alerts, faves, and reviews!

- Cheers!


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